Ghosts
by bookwormwithanattitude
Summary: Every Titan has a tale to tell about why they got here, and where their family went. A look into the pasts of Robin, Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire...and how it affects their present. Warning: written by a middle schooler.
1. Robin

Note: Second Teen Titans fanfic ever. This will be detailing the pasts of all the Titans in a unique way, so that it ties into the present. The first one to get this treatment is Robin! Raven is next. Now, to get a few things clear. I have never read the Batman and Robin comic books, or the original Teen Titans. I have however, studied each Titans comic book history, on Titans Tower and Wikipedia. So I have the gist. Now, the comic book history here influences this tale of Robin's past. Here, I guess we're working on the assumption that Robin is Dick Grayson, though I have no real feelings on the matter, and feel that Robin is simply Robin- Dick Grayson, Jason Todd and Tim Drake all mashed together in one Titanic package-and debate is pointless. I have made some drastic changed to Robin's history-partly due to lack of knowledge, partly for purposes of the plot, and partly because the cartoon characters history is different than the comic counterparts-just look at BB and Star for examples of that. So, don't be offended, and I hope you don't find something hideously wrong with Robin's past. Enjoy.

"Where is the stupid remote?"

"Don't tell me you've lost all nine of them," Robin said, looking up briefly at the frustrated Cyborg.

"We only have five now. Beast Boy destroyed them all when he used the INSIDES to make a TRAIN."

"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" Beast Boy said. "It doesn't even work, anyway."

"OF COURSE IT DOESN'T! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT MECHANICS!" Cyborg shouted.

Raven stormed into the room. "I am trying to meditate," She said in a voice of forced calm, "but am finding it difficult to concentrate due to the fact your voices are carrying _all the way to my room."_

"Why don't you meditate outside? We're trying to find the remote."

"Haven't we already had this conversation? It is a useless-Robin, what are you doing?" She looked over to Robin and Starfire.

"Teaching Starfire to play chess," Robin said. "Your move, Star."

"Um. Why."

"I found this game of checkered squares and wooden figurines in the game room, and wished to know how to play!" Starfire said happily.

"Who bought a chess set?" Beast Boy asked.

"Me," Robin said.

"You play chess?"

"I forget…when you say Knight, are you referring to evening or the metallic warriors of the past of Earth?" Starfire asked.

"The metallic warriors. See how it's a horse?"

"What is a horse?"

"Um, I hate to interrupt the match of intellects, but I still CAN'T FIND THE REMOTE!" Cyborg bellowed.

Raven sighed and rubbed her head. She held up a hand and a black bolt snaked out, carefully searching every nook and cranny. Finally, she retrieved the remote from under one of the chairs. "Here. Now can you be quiet?"

"Thanks Rae!" Cyborg switched on the television. "Now where's the football channel? Commercial…commercial…chef show…news…cartoon…commerc-hey, a circus!"

"Um," Robin said looking up as Starfire moved and absently moving his own piece as he focused on the television. "What?"

"There's a circus in town!" Cyborg said excitedly.

"Joy," Raven said sarcastically.

"What is a circus?" Starfire asked while taking one of Robin's pieces.

"Animal abuse," Beast Boy snorted.

"Where do you get that from?" Cyborg said.

"Do you have any idea how they TREAT those animals? Bears and elephants should be in their natural habitats, not physically abused and trained to-"

"It's a cool place where you see clowns and animals doing tricks and acrobats-" Cyborg cut off Beast Boy.

Robin tugged on the collar of his cape nervously.

"Ooooh, that sounds delightful!" Starfire cried. "May we go?"

"NO!" Beast Boy cried. "Did you not listen to my rant? Animal abuse!"

"Not all circuses abuse animals," Robin sighed, moving a piece.

"Oh really? How would you know?"

"I know. Okay?" Robin snapped.

"Please, may we go?" Starfire wheedled.

"It'll be fu-un…" Cyborg said.

"Fun for YOU maybe! I wouldn't want to be one of those animals-" Beast Boy began.

"And maybe we can ship Beast Boy off to the circus and never have to listen to him again!" Cyborg cried, his eyes gleaming.

"HEY!"

"As tempting as that sounds…" Raven said.

'We're not going to the circus," Robin snapped.

"What…why? I wish to experience it, Robin."

"I don't want to go, okay?" Robin cried.

"Me neither…" Raven said.

"Oh yeah? Do any of you have a reason?" Cyborg countered.

"ANIMAL ABUSE!" Beast Boy cried.

"Uhhh…" Robin tried to think of a believable reason.

"Crowds…stupid people…would any of you believe me if I said I had a massive fear of clowns?" Raven said.

"C'mon, guys, Star's never been to a circus before! She really wants to go! And so do I!" Cyborg pleaded.

"Yes, please, friends."

"Well…I guess I could go," Raven sighed.

"Can I try to free the animals?" Beast Boy asked.

"Ummm…sure, why not," Cyborg said.

"Okay."

"Robin?" Starfire asked.

"No," Robin said.

"But…why?"

"Because I said so okay?"

"C'mon, man, that's not a reason…Star wants to go, why are you being-?"

"I SAID NO!" Robin screamed.

The room fell silent.

"Way to pull a Raven, dude," Beast Boy said finally.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Raven said menacingly.

"Robin…are you all right?" Starfire asked.

"Robin, what's the deal? Are you afraid of clowns or something?"

"I just don't want to go, okay?" Robin said through gritted teeth. "Drop it."

A dead silence filled the room again, as his teammates stared at him.

"Um…Matecheck," Starfire said.

"Wha-Star, that's not the right move," Robin said, glad for an excuse to look away from his friends. "Wait…it is…you beat me…how'd you do that?"

"Admittedly, I was taking advantage of your distraction with the argument of circuses. Am I still the victor?"

"Uh…yeah…."

"I am victorious!" Starfire blasted Robin's king into smithereens.

"You're not supposed to do that."

"Oh, I am sorry. Shall we have a rematch?"

"Actually, I think I'll just go to my room," Robin said.

"All right then…I will see you…"

Robin left the room, but not before he heard Cyborg comment. "One things for sure, the man has issues with circuses."

The kid stood at attention, ready for action. When the bell dinged, he took off, doing multiple flips and a perfectly executed triple somersault. He spun around the practice trapeze, flipped into a handstand on it, back to his feet again, a few more tricks and he spun off, his momentum allowing him to run up the length of the wall and with a tremendous back flip, land.

"Kid, you freak me out when you do that," the lion trainer said.

The boy smiled and flipped around so his head was level with his ankles. "Says the man who puts his head in a lions mouth. Besides, I gotta practice."

"Yeah, but I'm not nine years old. And Pearl's just a big sweetie," Moe said. "Now stop that ankle thing, yer givin' me a backache just lookin' at you."

The boy obliged, but immediately flipped into a one handed handstand.

"Show off," Moe muttered, going to get the lion.

"Okay, sweetie, we're on in five, then you come in round the middle…when they announce you, okay?" The boy's mother walked in and surveyed her son. "Freaking out Moe again?"

"Uh huh…" the young acrobat said from his upside down position.

"My little robin, always bobbin' along…" She said fondly.

"Mom…don't call me that…"

"Okay, okay, just remember you're on in fifteen…"

"I will…."

She strolled out the door. It was the last time he'd ever see her alive again.

His dad came in a second later.

"On in fifteen, son."

"I _know_, Mom just _told _me…"

"With that attitude, you'd think you were a teenager already," the man sighed.

The kid softened slightly. "See you in fifteen then."

"Yeah, see ya," the man left after his wife.

The young circus performer remained in his original position for a couple more seconds, and then flipped back on his feet.

"_And now…the Amazing Flying Graysons!" _ He heard the conductor announce.

He shook his head. He wondered what it was like to be a normal kid. He wandered down the hall, bored, checking his watch every few minutes. His stupid red and green costume itched. Seriously, what was he, a Christmas tree? As he passed his bosses office, he thought he heard voices. Loud, male voices. He knew he shouldn't eavesdrop, but when had that ever stopped him? He pressed his ear to the door.

"If you don't give us that money, we'll make you pay in other ways."

"Is that a threat? That sounds like a threat to me!" The circus owners voice sounded indignant.

"It doesn't just sound like a threat, it is one! Unless you want some very bad _accidents_ to plague your little act, you better pay!"

"I do not give into threats! Go now, or I'll call the police."

"You'll be sorry, man. I always get my way…one way or another…"

"GO!"

The young acrobat jumped back just in time as the door opened. Two men in dirty suits passed him, one flipping open his cell phone and muttering into it. The boy distinctly thought he heard the word "_Graysons"_.

"_Unless you want some very bad accidents to plague your little act…"_

"Oh no…" the kid muttered to himself. Like a shot he took off after the suited men, but by the time he turned the corner, the men had disappeared. Ignoring this unpleasant fact, he barreled right towards the circus stadium. Within three minutes he had reached the edge and…

His parents were already up on the trapeze. Like a nightmare, everything seemed to slow down. As the boy stood frozen in shock, he saw a man in a trench coat cut the wire…and he saw his parents fall…slowly…surely…wreathed by shadow…and as they plummeted to the ground, he only managed to choke out one word.

"_Goodbye."_

When Robin looked back on the day, he always saw it as his ultimate mistake. _One second sooner, had he not hesitated…had he not frozen…_he knew it wasn't his fault. In his brain, at least. It was why Robin didn't like making mistakes. Mistakes cost lives. He tried not to look back on it much. Tried not dwell on it. He always was in the moment, looking forward. He didn't want to live in the past. He'd learned the hard way what that could do to a person.

It was a big mansion, no doubt. The kid didn't think he'd ever be able to see all the rooms. Kind of made it easier to stay in one place, being in a place this big. It was odd, not being on the move, running with the wind.

Why had Bruce Wayne taken him, if he was never going to talk to him? Isn't that the reason you _adopted _kids? So you could know, see them once every couple of days?

The place was creepy, large and haunting. It needed a dog…or something. Better than the stupid orphanage anyway. He would have gone with an old lady with green hair and rotten teeth just to get out of that place. He plopped down on the steps, watching servants drift in and out the house like ghosts. He didn't know how long he sat there, but he was startled when he heard someone clear his throat behind him. He turned around to face a tall muscular man with black hair, wearing a suit. His adoptive guardian…Bruce Wayne.

"Oh, um…hi."

"Can I get by?"

"Oh…yeah…" the orphan scrambled out of the way. "Uh, going somewhere?" he said to his guardians retreating back.

"Business meeting," the man grunted and he disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.

"Okay, nice talking to you too," the boy snapped once he was sure the recluse was out of earshot. "That guy seriously needs a girlfriend. Or a dog. Or, I dunno, a therapist."

"Talking to yourself again, Master Grayson?" a butler asked passing him.

"Yup. No one else to talk to," the kid replied.

"Why don't you go watch television?" said the man looking sympathetic.

"Okay," the irate nine year old dragged himself up and made his way to the television. He flicked it on and it landed on news.

"_And in other news…update on the case of the murder of the popular acrobats, the Flying Graysons,"_

The kid's hand froze on the remote where he was about to change the channel.

"_Suspects for the murder are being apprehended by the police and the masked vigilante…"_

A buzzing filled the boys head…

"…_At Gotham circle…"_

The remote crashed to the floor and the kid was out of the room before the newscaster could finish her sentence.

The small black haired boy arrived on Gotham Circle in record time. And he saw them. The dirty suit men. There were a couple of policemen, but they had been rendered unconscious and were lying on the pavement. The suits were wrestling with someone the boy recognized as Batman, the mysterious "masked vigilante" that had been a hot topic on the Gotham news. The orphaned boy saw one of the men bring out a knife, and Batman wasn't looking…he went into a flying leap and somersaulted right into the aggressor. He landed and the knife wielding man fell over. Next thing he knew, a strong hand had grabbed him a dragged him behind a statue.

"LET ME-" but he realized it wasn't one of the dirty suit men…it was Batman.

"What are you doing here?" the hero hissed. "You're supposed to me at the mansion!"

"How do you-wait…" the kid recognized the voice…"Bruce?"

"Damn," Bruce muttered. "This is just great." He looked out from behind the statue. "And now they're gone."

"_You're _Batman?" the boy said, confused.

Bruce sighed. "Let's go back to the mansion."

Everyone knows what happened next. Bruce explained about his parents, and how he protected the city. The kid begged Bruce to let him help. Surprisingly, the man accepted. Before they did the oath, he asked the boy what he wanted his alter ego to be named. It took almost no time to decide.

"Robin," said Robin.

Six and a half years later, Robin left Batman. No one knows why. Not even his teammates. Not even his friends. Sometimes not even Robin. It had been a really slow process, but Robin could always bring it back to that one fight.

"Would…you…just…stay…still? "The villain said, as Robin hopped out of the way of his multiple punched and kicks.

"Sorry, not part of the job description," Robin nailed the guy in the chin with an uppercut.

The villain stumbled reeling, but Robin felt tentacles wrap firmly around his torso. He looked up to see a human face, but a green and scaly one leering down at him. He struggled fiercely trying to reach for a gadget or weapon, but the thing merely hugged him tighter. Suddenly, he was yanked free and the creature was sent flying, Batman had rescued him. Robin dodged another jab of the villain he had recently punched, and jerked his knee up to kick, but the man grabbed his leg and Robin was sent flying into a box of crates. Batman was wrestling the tentacled man viciously and called "Robin! Get him with the net!"

"I can't!" Robin cried, rolling out of the way just in time to miss being flattened by his adversary. He flipped out a birdarang to throw at the fighting pair, but his opponent caught his arm and the throw went wide, hitting Batman instead of the squid thing. The villain lifted Robin by the arm and threw him into a nearby monument. In a rush Robin felt impact, the crumbling of stone and a sickening crack accompanied by a burst of red-hot pain. Blearily, the Boy Wonder looked over and saw his arm was bent at an odd angle. The tentacled monster threw Batman into a nearby wall and both he and his partner escaped into the night.

"Ow," Robin said, looking down at his arm.

"They got away. This has been happening a lot lately. Too much."

Admittedly, Batman was right. It had been happening way too much. This concerned Robin quite a bit, though not quite as much as his shattered arm at the moment.

"Yeah, we'll have to do something about that. Er, my arms kind of broken."

"Something's wrong here," Batman said, helping Robin up. "Something's off."

Robin cradled his arm, walking after Batman. "Maybe. I think it might just be bad luck."

"It's something more than that. We should have defeated those two easily."

"I guess…this is the first time I've ever seen them, though. Where are we going?" Robin asked.

"Back to the mansion."

"Okay. Did I mention my arm was broken?"

Bruce ignored Robin.

When they got back to the sprawling mansion, they found servants awaiting him.

"How was crime fighting, sirs?"

"He got away," Batman and Robin said together.

"And I broke my arm," Robin showed his arm, which was dangling limply and swelling.

The butler looked at it in concern and disgust while the maid turned faintly green.

"Tell me, sir, do you even feel pain? At all?

Actually, his arm hurt quite a bit and there was a mad pounding in Robin's head. "I try not to."

"I need to think," Bruce muttered.

"Shouldn't I go to the hospital…or something?"

"No. The nurse will take care of you."

Robin sighed and followed the butler up to the mansions infirmary.

"He does care for you, sir. Very much. He just has a hard time showing it."

"Yeah…I know."

About a week later, Bruce called Robin into his office.

"Listen…I've been thinking about our recent failures to capture villains. And I have come to the conclusion that we are just not working right together anymore."

"What?" Robin said incredulously.

"We haven't been getting along lately. We haven't done well as a team. And you breaking you arm has opened my eyes to the danger I've been putting you in."

"Bruce, I've been injured before."

"I know. But are you listening to me? We aren't working well. You need to spend more time in school. You need to try to be a normal boy."

"Wait…are you _firing _me?"

"Listen to me, Robin. This is for the best. We haven't been getting along. You can't deny that-why are you in here?" Bruce turned to the butler. "Go."

"No, stay," Robin said.

"Go!" Bruce countered.

"HE STAYS!" Robin said furiously.

"He goes! I am the owner of this house." Bruce turned to the confused butler. "Get out."

The man obliged, leaving Robin steaming.

"See? You've been arguing with me like this for the past two months. We just can't do it anymore."

"You're firing me."

"I'm giving you chance for a normal life."

"You're firing me."

"Okay, yes, I am."

Robin had never felt so hurt and confused. Batman had never been the most affectionate guy, but Robin would have never expected him to do something like _this _to Robin. This was low.

After a few seconds glaring at Bruce, Robin said, "Okay. Fine. But if I have to stop being your sidekick, I'm not living here anymore."

"What?"

"You're right, Bruce. We aren't working well together anymore. So I'm going to go pursue my own destiny. If I can't be your partner anymore, I'm going to go be a superhero in my own. Which means, I'm leaving, and I'll be taking all my gadgets too."

"Richard, you can't leave this house. You are my adopted son."

"Then go ahead and disown me. You practically already have," Robin stormed out of the room.

It took ten minutes to pack. Then he left, without saying goodbye.

One mistake. That was all it ever took. But Robin was happier now. He had friends. He would not end up like Batman. He would not be bitter; he would not live in the past. Present. Always in the present. What was in the present? Robin thought blearily. Slade. He was still out there, planning something. Had to find out what he was planning. Terra was back too, according to Beast Boy, attending a high school near the tower and claiming to not remember them. Robin wasn't sure what to do about this, but the fact was, it was killing Beast Boy. He acted more obnoxious than usual during the day, trying to put on a normal face, but went to bed early at night, yet didn't go to sleep, Robin had woken up more than once, hearing Beast Boy wander the halls. Slade had some connection to all this…yes, present. Present problems, present villains…Robin pulled out Slade's file and began to comb through it, looking for clues.

Robin must have fallen asleep at some point looking over the files, because he woke up with a jolt when Beast Boy pounded on his door.

"Um, Robin, I know you don't like circuses, but there's kind of a big crime going on that the circus, so I guess we have to go anyway…"

"What?" Robin said sitting up. "What kind of crime?"

"The owner called and said some guy was threatening him, trying to get money…said his name was Zucco, or something…"

Time slowed down infitestamlly. They had never caught the murderers of the Flying Grayson…after that encounter with Batman, they had skipped town and never been seen again…but Robin had always known they were still out there…he had always known…

Robin was off like a shot, past Beast Boy and to the front of the Tower in a split second.

"Titans GO!" He managed to croak before flashing out the door and onto his R-cycle, zooming full speed toward the circus.

Whatever time it took him to get there wasn't fast enough, but he managed to screech to a stop in front of the massive circus tent.

He prepared to go in but- "Robin, WAIT!"

Starfire was flying towards him very, very fast.

"WHOAAAA!" She screeched to a stop, knocking Robin off his feet despite the fact he was ten feet away from her. "I am sorry. I was attempting to keep up with you."

Raven blossomed from the ground in a wave of black energy and Beast Boy dropped from the sky. Cyborg screeched up in the T Car a few seconds later.

"Dude, for someone who doesn't like circuses, you sure wanted to get to this one," Beast Boy panted.

"Yeah, Robin, I thought going at the speed of light was Starfire's shtick," Cyborg said.

"Come on, we have to move," Robin said, racing inside the tent. In a split second, he'd maneuvered his way into the circus.

"Okay, now we just have to find the perpetrators-" Raven began

"THERE!" Robin cried, pointing as he saw the all too familiar dirty suits.

"How do you-?"

But Robin was already off. He saw the flash of a knife in the suits hand, prepared to cut the trapeze wire, just before Robin planted the sole of his combat boot into the mans chin. The man flew backward and the knife flew out of his hand, it's point lodging in a nearby wall.

"I think you've made a big mistake," Robin said menacingly to the criminal at his feet.

"Who the hell are you?" the man spluttered.

Robin answered by attempting to stomp the criminals face in, but the man rolled out of the way in time to avoid a broken nose. Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw two other men coming, the complete trio. He grabbed the trapeze and with a swing through the air, had nailed them both in the face.

The third man made for the door, but gave a high-pitched scream when a cloaked girl materialized in front of him.

"Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!" Raven cried forcing the man back with a bolt of black energy.

"No way," said one of the two men, laying on the floor and looking up at Robin. "It's the little acrobat kid from that circus!"

"Robin? What do they mean by "little acrobat kid"?" Starfire asked floating down beside him.

"Yeah…the 'Flying Graysons'. The kid on the trapeze!" The other one answered.

"I think he's gonna end up like his parents!" The first one said menacingly, getting up and drawing out a knife. Unfortunately for him, the knife was knocked out of his hand by a starbolt from a very angry Starfire and an even angrier Robin then tackled him. Robin punched as hard as he could at the man's face and felt blood gush out from under his hand. The second man tackled him, but Robin grabbed the knife Starfire had knocked loose and slashed him in the face.

"ROBIN!" Starfire cried in horror. Beast Boy and Cyborg looked up from their attack on the third man to see Robin attempting to stab his opponent to death. Finally he had the man on his knees, knife poised to strike the heart…but he threw it down after a seconds hesitation and hit the man with his staff, knocking him out. Raven quickly summoned the knife with her power and crumpled it up while the others watched in shock. The other man dived at Robin, but the Boy Wonder caught him with a spinning kick and as the third man joined in, now that his fight with the other two boys was abandoned, Robin jumped up on the trapeze and climbed up it, halfway to the very high ceiling. He threw a birdarang down, and it hit the third man directly on the head knocking him out.

"Come down here and fight like a man, you little circus freak!" the first man cried. Robin obliged, somersaulting down, landing a kick on the man's head. The murderer merely stumbled though, and Robin brought out his fighting staff. He struck it at his adversary, but the man jerked it out of his hand with a surprising amount of strength and punched Robin in the mouth. Robin stumbled back, tasting a small amount of blood. The embezzler and Robin then locked hands, wrestling each other vigorously.

"Robin!" Starfire cried, warming up her starbolts.

"No…Star…let…me do…this…one alone…" Robin groaned.

"Shall I listen to him?" Starfire asked the others.

"I think you should, Star," Cyborg said.

Robin dodged a punch.

"You're…Tony…Zucco?" he gasped in between strikes.

The man laughed and nodded, catching Robin with his elbow. "Kid, I killed your parents and I'm gonna kill you."

Robin felt anger cloud his head. "You first." And he kicked Zucco away, skidding him about fifty feet across the floor. He then lunged on the man, and planted his elbow in his face. Seeing the world through a red film of anger, he threw punch after punch after punch. He couldn't even see Zucco's face…all the could see were his parents, falling, falling…_Too late…Too late…_

"_Robin…Robin…_Robin!" He felt a strong hand grip his wrist and pulled him of Zucco. He looked over to find Starfire holding him and Zucco's face a bloody mess.

"You have effectively pounded the villain. The authorities are here to retrieve him. It is all right." She squeezed his arm, as usual a little too hard; he felt pain shoot up with it. He looked at his teammates, who were regarding him cautiously.

"No…it never was," Robin managed to say before looking away.

Robin sat alone in his room. His friends had pretty much left him alone after the big fight and he had come here, to stare blankly at the wall…waiting to feel…something. There was a knock on the door.

"Who is it?"

"It is Starfire."

He allowed the door to open.

"I was just checking to see if you were all right."

"I'm fine."

"Well…dinner is almost ready. Do you wish to-?"

"I'll be out in a minute."

There was a short silence. "Do you wish to talk about it, Robin?"

"Not right now."

"But, perhaps later?"

"Yeah…maybe."

"I am always here to listen, Robin."

Robin smiled at her. "I know, Star."

"All right. I will see you in a minute."

Starfire left the room.

Robin looked after her for a minute. He flipped on the small television he kept in his room.

'Today, after being at large for seven years after the murder of the Flying Graysons, Tony Zucco and his stooges were taken down by the Teen Titans and arrested…"

Robin turned off the TV and slowly got up. No, he would not live in the past. He would not dwell on the deaths of his parents. He would always look forward, forever forward.

Never look back. Because no matter what he did, he could never erase his mistake.


	2. Raven

Note: I'd like to thank everyone for all the nice reviews. I appreciated them. Here's Raven's turn. Truth be told, Raven is my favorite character. The first episode I ever saw of Teen Titans was Birthmark and I automatically identified with Raven. Once again, I incorporated some comic book history, but I've never read the comics, and obviously made some changes. Raven's history in the cartoon is one of the most expanded upon, so, I'm not horribly worried. Beast Boy is next.

_Angela needed a place to sleep. She was so cold, so hungry, and so lonely. But she couldn't go back. She was tired of the beatings. Had they even noticed she was gone? Probably not. She saw a church. It was a place she knew was safe, even if it did remind her of her parents.  
She knocked on the vast doors.  
An old man opened them immediately. "Welcome," he said solemnly. "Are you looking for a place to stay?"  
She blushed and nodded._  
"_Come in and find a room…"  
Slowly, Angela followed him; with no idea her life was about to change forever._

_  
Raven (Roth?)  
Female_  
_Eyes: Violet  
Hair: Violet  
Skin tone: Pale grey  
Weighs: eight pounds, nine ounces  
Born: August 12  
Parents: Angela Roth (aka Arella and Trigon the Terrible  
Abilities: Empathic and telekinetic powers  
Threat: Major  
Possibities of destruction: Limitless_

_Azarath._

She was inside everyone and everything. All hearts, animal, human alike, pumping blood to veins, creating life…she could feel it flow…in the warm darkness, she was lost.

_Metrion._

All the feelings, under her control…she was everywhere…yet nowhere. Blood equals life. The flow can be stopped so easily…and goodbye. Stilled blood, another person gone…every second she felt someone die…she could hear their tears from far away.

_Zinthos._

Some people felt insignificant. She had never had that pleasure…to think what she did didn't affect anything. She was half demon. Even with her father murdered at her own hand, what she did mattered. She had to watch every move. She could feel the world rippling…blood spilling…life. Death. Whatever was in between. She had seen a lot of blood in her time…a lot of hate…a lot of love, too. Horror at spilled blood…laughter…indifference. She tried to be indifferent. She tried.

Everything was blood.

"Raven?"

Back to earth, demon girl…

"What."

"It's Beast Boy."

"I know."

"Oh. Well, you weren't looking at me."

"I don't have to. What's the problem?"

"Um, the problem is, you've been in here all day. And you haven't stayed in here all day in like, forever.

"Really?" Raven spun around in midair, her legs still crossed in meditation. The clock read four. "I have been in here a while. Just got lost in meditation. What do you want?"

"Ummmm…nothing…there's just no one to hang out with."

"Where's Robin?"

"Obsessing over villains."

"Starfire?"

"At the mall with Silkie."

"Cyborg?"

"Working on his car. He won't let me near it."

"Smart boy. Beast Boy, do you always have to be around people?"

"Well, yeah." Beast Boy walked around her room, sidestepping her magic mirror nervously. He walked over to her bookshelf. "Wow. Books. You could start your own library."

His eyes wandered over to a small box. "What's this?" He picked it up and opened it, revealing a shining red necklace. "Whoa."

"Beast Boy!" Raven got up quickly and was over there in a second. "That's MINE!" She grabbed it from him.

"Sorry."

"Don't go pawing around my stuff! You'd think you'd learn your lesson…"

"Yeah, I know. What does it do?"

"Nothing."

"Really? No magic stuff?"

"Nope," she recapped the box.

"Then why is it in a box?"

Raven hesitated for a second. "It was my mothers."

"Oh."

"_He will need a portal to get here…I do not know how to create one."_  
"_Never mind. We will build the army on earth, and perhaps that will be sufficient."  
The voices sounded quietly from behind a cold office door in the Church of Blood._  
"_We must do Trigon's bidding. He needs a portal," the old man who had let Angela in was talking to another, but within a second, he had transformed him into a demon. "I grow tired of taking on this human form."_  
"_As do I," said the second man. "Contact Trigon. Ask him for instructions. Be sure to tell him that we have five new recruits."  
The other man left. The demon transformed back into an old man, and bought out a strange metal plate. He sifted some powder into it and began muttering a spell. Suddenly, there was a loud moaning. He tried to ignore it. But it continued, getting louder and louder.  
The demon-man swore. "I hate being the nice old priest."  
He left the room, forgetting to lock the door…_

"Raven?"

She was staring at the box. She looked up at Beast Boy.

"So, do you wanna hang out?"

Raven continued to stare at him.

"I'm sorry I touched your stuff. Would you hang out with me if we went to the library?"

Actually, she did need some new books.

"All right, fine."

"Woo HOO!" He cheered and bounced out the door.

Raven carefully put the box down and followed him, making sure to roll her eyes.

_Angela heard the moaning too. She opened her door and crept out quietly. She saw the office door was open and the light was on. She knocked carefully on the door._  
"_Sir? Did you know that-"?  
The door opened more under the pressure of her knock and she gasped at what she saw.  
Projected, as if holographically, from a strange metal plate, was the face of the most beautiful man she had ever seen. He had black hair, and gold flecked eyes._  
"_Angela…" the man called. "Angela…"  
Angela came forward, as if under a trance._  
"_Angela…place your hands on this plate."  
She did…_  
"_Say these words…"  
He was so beautiful…_  
"_Azarath…"_  
"_Azarath…"_  
"_Metrion…"_  
"_Metrion…"_  
"_Zinthos…"_  
"_Zinthos…"  
In a flash, she was gone…a rushing sensation…white light…and she was next to the beautiful man on a red cloud…_  
"_Where are we?" She breathed._  
"_In a prison…but thanks to you, my dear, it will not be a prison for long…"  
The gold-flecked eyes turned red. "Foolish woman! When I plant my seed in you, I shall have my portal…"_  
"_What…what are you doing…wait…stop…NO!"_

Raven reentered her room after dinner. She would have to remember never to go with Beast Boy to the library again. What had she been THINKING? Libraries were quiet and Beast Boy was…not. If they hadn't been superheroes, the librarians would have kicked them out.

She sat down on the bed, allowing herself a smile. She had gotten some good books. As she placed them on her desk, she noticed the box still sitting on her shelf. After a moment's hesitation, she got up and got it. Back on her bed, she carefully picked up the red jewel, seeing her reflection shining in it. She hadn't looked at this thing since she'd put it away…more than a year ago.

"Mother…" she murmured softly, biting her lip.

Her mother was dead. She couldn't ever be sure, but she had guessed as much. The message her mother had left her at Azarath told her all she needed to know…Azarath was gone. And so was Arella. She remembered the feeling of shocked grief, like being stabbed in the stomach…anger…but not as bad as it should have been. Her relationship with her mother had been…distant to say the best. She cared much more for her friends. Besides, as a master of emotion, grief was something she had to accept…control…not be lost to. She could remember being angry at her mother…for dying…for not being able to help…for leaving that message…and believing her. Believing that she had started with Trigon and she would end with Trigon. Anger at him. At Slade. The desires to draw blood…the desire to protect her friends.

The anger was gone now. Her mother had been wrong. The world had not ended forever. She had defeated her father…she had destroyed him. She had saved her friends. She had not been able to save Arella.

_Sorry._

_I wish I could turn back time…help you…now that I know I could have all along…If only you had contacted me…_

_I couldn't save you._

_But you were wrong._

_It was not hopeless. Something could be done._

_You were wrong. I killed him. I saved my friends._

_You were wrong._

_So. There._

_You said it was a circle…that is started with him, it would end with him. But in reality, it started with me, it ended with me. You were lost. So was I. But I found myself…when you looked at me, I know what you saw. I know. Yet, you loved me. You really did. You just couldn't. Get. Past. Him._

Her whole life had been about her father…a slow building up to her sixteenth birthday. The fear, the hatred, the pain…all because of him. But she had killed him. And now they were _both _gone. Her whole life…had been them. Gone. No more haunting prophetic dreams, no more looking into her mother's sad eyes…just her and her friends…and her courage. Who would have thought?

The jewel was as red as her father's skin…it gleamed like his eyes.

She remembered the first time she met him…

Five-year-old Raven woke up with a start. She rubbed her head sleepily, looking around. All was quiet in Azarath. What had woken her?

She climbed softly out of her starched white bed, but stumbled on the end of her robes. She grimaced. She hated those robes. When she was old enough, she was going to make something more comfortable to wear, like a leotard.

She could hear a whispering…a faint, faint whispering in the distance.

"_Raven…"_

She padded out the door and into the village. She rarely got to go outside, and was seizing the opportunity to do so.

"Hello?" She whispered.

"_Ah…daughter…"_

"Mother? Is that you?" Raven called, confused.

"_Your mother is gone. Everyone is gone. Just like they will be when you destroy the world."_

Raven's stomach contracted. She had known even then she was destined to end the world, though at that age she hadn't been able to fully grasp the concept, she knew destroying the world was very, very, bad, and something she didn't want to do.

"No…they can't be. Who…who are you?"

Like Christmas lights, four blazing red eyes appeared in the sky. Raven gasped and stepped back.

"_I am your father, Trigon the Terrible…"_

"No…" Raven knew her father was imprisoned, and that he was supposed to be the one to make her end the world.

"_I finally see what you look like. You remind me of your mother…weak…female…another pawn. You will bow down to me…"_

"I'm not weak," Raven said. "Stop it…"

"_You will come to me, little girl…"_

Red lightning shot out toward Raven. She screamed and jumped out of the way. She thrust out her hands and a bolt of black power broke through the lightening. Gasping, the child stared at her hands. She had already begun training with Azar, Azarath's spiritual leader, but she had never been able to so something like that before.

"_So you have power of your own…this only makes you a stronger vessel…you will SERVE ME!"_

The two lightning bolts struck again, wrapping around her arms like rope.

"Stop!" Raven cried in terror as the red streams on light slowly dragged her towards her father's narrowed eyes. "Stop!" Her body blazed with black fire as she struggled. "STOOOOP!"

Raven woke up screaming, her bed bucking like crazy, crackling with the same black power she had used before…the walls were cracking around her and so was the ceiling, her power spreading like a virus around the room. Her nursemaid, Gayla and Azar rushed in. "Raven, it's all right!"

"I-I-I…saw…him…" Raven croaked, her lips rippling under the room's pressure.

Gayla gasped, but Azar assured her, "It was only a vision! I felt him contact you, but he's still in our prison!"

Slowly, Raven's power retracted back into her body, and she sat, still and shaking. She could feel him leaving her head. As he left, his horrible gravelly voice a whisper once more, she heard him say something she had only heard once, the prophecy that foretold her destiny, a person on the streets of Azarath had whispered it as she was passing by.

"The gem was born in evil's fire

_The gem will be his portal_

_He comes to claim, He comes to sire…_

_The end of all things mortal."_

From that point on, the dreams had happened yearly…they were different, some more terrifying than others, some showing her what she would become, some simply Trigon talking to her…but they all carried the same message…_the prophecy would happen. She would serve him._

Everyone around her seemed to agree…even her mother, even Azar. They told her the prophecy was absolute, that there was nothing she could do about it. They loved her anyway…but as an empath, she could always feel their fear. Pulsing, growing, swelling…and she hated it. She did not want to end the world. She wanted a _choice. _She wanted to be _free. _But she was never free. She always felt the chains of the prophecy, growing heavier and heavier…

One day, when she was nine, in a training session with Azar, she broke down.

"Control your emotions, Raven. Focus your anger…do not let is control you…calm…not hysterical…good…good…. block…block…now throw…good! Excellent work, Raven. I think we've done enough combat work for today. But…perhaps another exercise."

"What?" Raven asked, wiping sweat off her brow as her eyes stopped glowing and power disappeared from her fingers. She had been practicing shielding and lifting heavy objects for combat uses all day with Azar.

The white haired mystic smiled down at Raven and suddenly, morphed into her father. Towering over her, the white haired, red skinned demon looked terrifying.

"What the-?" Raven cried.

"Control your emotions, Raven…" Azar's voice floated out from nowhere.

With a wave of her hand, everything around her was a wasteland…bodies littered the ground…

"Azar…stop it…"

Shaking, she looked down at the ground and saw Azar's body. She screamed, covering her eyes. As she stepped back, she tripped. Flat on the damp ground she looked around and saw her mothers body.

"NO!"

"_This is how it will end!"_

"SHUT…UP!" Raven screamed, she pounded on the ground. Black cracks snaked up the sky and the illusion shattered, leaving Raven alone with Azar, tears streaming silently down her face.

"Raven!" Azar rushed forward, stopping just short of touching her. The shock in the old woman's eyes was obvious; she had never seen Raven cry before.

"I…don't…want…to…do it… I…don't want …to…" Raven gasped, tears falling fast on her cloak.

"I know…"Azar muttered. "I'm sorry. You weren't ready for that. I shouldn't have shown it to you. I just thought…after all those dreams…you'd be used to it…"

Raven shook her head.

"Are…are you sure the prophecy is absolute?"

Azar nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so."

"Why, Azar? Why is he doing this?"

Azar knew Raven was referring to her father.

"Trigon is the result of all the expunged evils of Azarath. It is…in his nature."

"So, that naturally means I'm evil," Raven said it as a statement, not a question, but Azar shook her head.

"No, it just means you are trapped."

Carefully, Azar put her arm around her pupil, and let the girl cry, for once.

A few days after that encounter, Raven's mother came for one of her weekly visits. Arella lived in a different house than Raven, working in the temple, while Azar raised Raven, teaching her empathy and how to control her powers. Despite pacifistic beliefs, some of the guards of Azarath knew some hand to hand combat, and reluctantly taught Raven those skills as well, knowing she needed to know how to defend herself in all ways possible. So her mother only visited her on Wednesdays, usually for the afternoon. Azar would usually make Raven demonstrate what she had learned.

"Try to get through Raven's shield, Arella," Azar said with a touch of pride. "Go on, you can even use that lamp."

Arella tapped against the shield with the lamp, then gave it a harder nudge. "Wow…how…nice."

"Give it a good swing," Azar urged.

"It won't hurt me," Raven said. "Really."

Reluctantly her mother swung the lamp with all her strength at Raven, but the object bounced right off the shield.

"Wow, strong!" Arella smiled at her daughter, putting the lamp down.

"Azar, one of the citizens is having a vision," an Azarath clergyman called, poking his head in a doorway.

"Excuse me," Azar said diplomatically.

After Azar left, there was an awkward silence in the room. Raven got up and peered out her window, into the whiteness.

"Azar tells me…you haven't been feeling your best lately."

"I'm fine. My emotions are under control," Raven said in her best "blank" voice.

There was a short silence.

"I'm…sorry, Raven," her mother sighed.

Raven was surprised. "For what?"

"I was such a fool…I let this happen. And I gave birth to you, into the worst situation possible. It's all my fault."

"For giving birth to me?" Raven didn't know whether to feel angry about this.

"For giving you this life. I wish I could stop it somehow…"

Arella stared into Raven's eyes. She was a beautiful woman, with blue eyes...hair so black it was almost purple…but she looked so sad. Raven could feel her emotions…a deep despair…the usual fear.

"Sit next to me," Arella said.

Raven sat next to her mother on her bed.

"You know I love you, no matter what?" Her mother asked.

Raven nodded.

"I want you to have this," Arella held out the red necklace. "It's mine. I was wearing it when you were born."

Raven took it, unsure of how to feel about that. "Thank you."

"You were beautiful. Despite the ugliness that brought you here, you were always beautiful," Arella said. "And you always will be."

Raven assumed this was the part where they were supposed to hug, and steeled herself for it. But the hug never came. Arella got up, and left.

Raven looked down at the necklace. It reflected her now, as it did then…beautiful? Her mother was the only one who'd ever called her that. Besides Malchior that is. She glared at the trunk that confined the book. He was thumping against the wood as he always did this time of day. She kicked it. "I don't know how the Brotherhood of Evil got you out of this thing, but believe me, you're back in for good this time. So shut up."

She turned back to her examination of the jewel. Had her mother lied to her, just like Malchior? The answer was probably yes, especially considering what she had heard her say on Raven's last night on Azarath…

Azar was dead. She had died of old age, though Raven knew the rumor around Azarath was that she had done it. It was because Azar had died in a combat session with her. It had been just like normal, Azar teaching her magic, and when Raven was practicing her whip move, Azar had suddenly started clutching her heart and choking. Within seconds she was dead…Raven wondered if she had been the cause. After all, she remembered feeling strange that day.

So grief draped over Raven like a heavy raincoat when she got back from Azar's funeral. Not to mention, two weeks from now was her fifteenth birthday. That meant, in a year, it would begin. The thought chilled Raven to the bone.

As Raven glided into the spacious building, she saw something glint on the table. She took a closer look. It was a knife. Raven was surprised. She had never seen a weapon in Azarath before. She wondered where it had come from. She picked it up and saw her pale countenance staring back at her in the shiny point.

And a thought occurred to her. A horrible thought. It was so not…_her._ But she did not let go of the knife…she slowly backed away, her heart pounding. She backed all the way into her room. She sat on her bed, starch white, like the rest of the room. She always felt like a mental patient in here. And the thought she was mulling over did not help.

_I don't want to do it._

So you're going to sacrifice the whole world for you own selfish desires?

_I am not weak. I am not some sad little girl who's so cowardly she's going to take her own life, because she can't deal-_

_This isn't about you! It's about everyone. Everyone you love. You are the portal. So what if the prophecy is absolute? If you're dead, none of it will happen._

_There has to be another way!_

_There isn't. You're going to die as the portal anyway. This is the only way to stop him._

_But-_

_This is not about you! This is about the WORLD! You could save them. Save them all. All it would take is one stab._

It wasn't like she hadn't considered it before, as a solution. It had been a quick fleeting thought; she had made herself forget as soon as it appeared. She had just never had a weapon, a way. For all her darkness, she was not…_like that. _Life was a cycle, like everything else, a test. To disrupt that cycle before it could be over was foolish. Unless…unless…you could save everyone else by doing it.

In your case, this IS the only solution.

She did not want to do it. But she had to. She pointed the blade toward herself, bracing for the pain.

You have to do it…

She closed her eyes.

You have to…

Brought the blade closer…

You…

Suddenly, her eyes snapped open, as if someone had forced them. In the reflection of the blade, she saw four red eyes.

You stupid insignificant child! You WILL NOT DEFY ME! His voice pounded in her head like thunder. She screamed and the knife spun around in her hands so it was pointing away from her.

Her mother came sprinting into the room. "Raven!"

Suddenly her head filled with a red steam and an unquenchable anger rose…a desire to hurt…kill…a satisfaction at the thought of seeing her mothers blood…spilling like a waterfall…waves upon waves…everyone dying…such a sweet, sweet picture…the feeling flooded her veins. She was intoxicated by evil.

Through the red film, she saw her mother. She saw the knife.

"_Hello, Angela."_

Her power snaked up and consumed the knife and it was rushing point first towards Arella. Her mother screamed and ran. The knife struck the wall hard where she had been, then dislodged itself, and kept going after her like a crazed bird. It stabbed the walls multiple times as her mother ran and dodged, screaming like a banshee. Raven could feel her father inside her, writhing like an insect. She felt frustration at her mother's evasive maneuvers. _kill kill KILL!_

Finally, through her anger she thought to make a black hand snake out and catch her mother. The knife's quivering point was poised at her mother's throat.

Just as she was about to stab her mother let out one last terrified scream.

"RaaaaVEEEEEEEN!"

Raven…

_Raven._

RAVEN.

It broke through everything and she realized she had been struggling against the power all along. She tried desperately to wrench herself free for the red film. And with a groan, a horrible groan, she screamed "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" and wrenching her hands together made the knife crumple into a ball.

Her mother fell to the floor but the evil was still inside her, like poison.

"Mo…ther…" she gasped, her eyes flashing red…like traffic lights…like blood…

Her mother was crying and shaking.

The clergy of Azarath was there. The bed was flying around out of control, smashing around, shards of the knife quivering in midair.

They all attempted to hold her down as she thrashed around.

"_NooooooooOOOOO! You fools! You will not resist. You can not confine Trigon the TERRIBLE!" _His voice came out of her mouth rattling, shaking…

"Raven! Snap out of it! This is not you!

"Kill me," She pleaded. "Kill me…"

They must have granted her wish, because what she saw next was darkness.

When Raven woke up, she was strapped to the bed like a mental patient. Her head pounded horribly, but she still thought that it was really stupid; after all, she could just undo the straps with her powers.

She did this, and got up shakily. She felt the icy horror of what she had done in her veins. She heard voices in the next room.

Her mother. And their magistrate, Coman.

She leaned toward the door.

"I'm…so scared…" her mother sobbed. "So…"

"Shhh…I know…"

"What she did…he…it's all true…it's so hard to believe…she tried to _kill _me…"

"She wasn't herself…"

"It's…s-so hard to love her sometimes…"

Raven felt a sensation familiar to being punched in the stomach.

"You don't mean that…"

"Y-Yes…every t-time I look at her, Coman…I see _him._"

Raven stepped back slowly from the door.

"H-he's inside her…Sh-she's really going to do it…destroy the world…sh-she might kill…kill us all. All…of us…in Azarath…I can't help it, Coman! I'm afraid she's just like him!"

Raven had heard enough. _Must control your emotions. Must not cry. _She took a deep breath. She let it out.

Her mother was right.

Her note was short.

_I'm sorry, mother._

_I love you,_

_Raven._

That night, she left Azarath forever

_But you were wrong._

_I am not him._

_I am me._

_Raven._

_You were wrong._

_But I'm still sorry._

Her friends were all she had now.

_They are my family._

_This is my home._

The past still clung to her, like the remnants of a spider web.

She still looked like her mother.

She still had the heritage of her father.

And the necklace still gleamed.

Raven didn't know how long she sat on her bed, staring at the necklace.

Suddenly, the jewel cracked.

"What the-?" Raven exclaimed…then just as sudden, two fiery hands reached up and pulled Raven away.

Raven was falling. Falling. Through white.

BAM! She hit the floor with a thunderous crash. White restraints, streams of light similar to the ones Mad Mod had imprisoned her with that one time, snaked up around her hands and ankles.

She looked around. Where was she? Destroyed, burnt buildings on a white expanse…she gave a sharp gasp. She was in the ruins of Azarath.

An old man stepped over her. She struggled against the restraints.

"I don't know who you are, and why you bought me here, but you had better RELEASE ME!" she growled.

Another man stepped forward. "I knew she would be feisty."

Feisty. Why did people always say that when she screamed at them to let her go? She'd show them feisty…

"Who are you?" she cried. "How did you get in the tower?

"No defenses for magic, my dear," the taller man said.

"Are you sure this is the right one?"

"Well, unless we got the wrong gray skinned female who resides in Titans Tower, yes. Are you the daughter of Trigon the Terrible?"

"What does it matter to you?" Raven snapped.

"Oh, it matters," the man leaned forward, and touched her skin with his pointer finger. The mark of Skath suddenly popped up all over her, glowing as menacingly as ever. She gasped as he took his finger away and the markings faded.

"She is the one."

"How did you do that? Who are you?" she asked again.

The two men smiled and morphed into demons. These demons were pitch black, like a black hole with yellow eyes.

"Disciples of Trigon," one hissed.

"And we plan to use you to resurrect him."

"WHAT?"

"You may have killed our master, but we can use you to bring him back. We have been awaiting this chance ever since his defeat."

"I will not do what you want."

"You don't have a choice."

"And how many times have I heard that one?" Raven snapped.

"Face it. You are restrained. It will be hours before your friends realize you are gone. There is nothing you can do."

Raven stared angrily at the demons.

"Did I mention this spell requires your death?" the first demon said, taking out a long knife.

Raven's eyes widened as the evil being knelt down, ready to stab her in the heart. Realizing her bonds left room for movement, she crashed her skull directly into his forehead, sending him reeling and screaming back.

"You don't know much about Azarath, do you?" Raven said dryly, and leaning as far over as she possibly could, and pounded her fist on an oddly shaped groove in the ground three times.

"Defenses," Raven said, "are required when you are the prison guards of gods."

A force field swelled around the two immediately and Raven's restraints were broken.

"That's an added bonus," Raven said getting up and rubbing her wrists. Her head was definitely throbbing.

The demons blasted themselves out of the forcefeild and a fight ensued. Raven used her advantage of having broken rubble around to fling at them and shielded herself from their attacks. One demon managed to grab her by the wrist and she felt something dig into her skin, cut her…she cried out in pain and with a mighty "_Azarath Metrion ZINTHOS!"_ blasted them both back against the wall. Now they were bound in her powers, as they had bound her.

"Looks like that little plan didn't go to well," Raven said standing over them, breathing heavily.

"Actually," one of the demons said, and he morphed back into a tall old man. "It went perfectly."

Raven woke up with a start, letting out a strangled half scream half gasp.

It took her a second to realize where she was. In her room…. on her bed.

It was just a dream.

She saw shards of cracked jewel scattered all over her bed. Her mother's necklace.

You must have cracked it somehow…when you fell asleep.

She felt an odd sense of grief as she gathered up the necklace. It was broken. Smashed. Fractured. Just like it's wearer.

She was shaking. She couldn't put it back together.

Even though she had defeated him, Trigon still haunted her dreams. He haunted her life. She just couldn't forget…the darkness would not leave.

She was pathetic.

He was still her biggest nightmare. She was still her biggest failure.

And herself? She was the product of rape.

She was the spawn of a demon and a beaten woman.

Her very powers were that of darkness.

And she could never escape that.

Never.

"Why can't you both just die?" She asked aloud. "Why can't you leave me alone? _Why can't you just DIE?"_

No answer.

She shoved the necklace in a drawer. Red. Like blood. It was only blood.

It was just a dream.

She was going to see what the others were doing.

It was just a dream.

It would be a while before she noticed that the mark of Skath had been sloppily gouged into her wrist.

End note: Okay. Just need to say a few things. Before anyone asks, there will not be any continuation on the ending (the whole cliffhanger thing with the demons and Trigon's resurrection) in this story. I might write another story involving that plot. I might not. It's more of a metaphor, and a cool ending to Raven's bit, than anything else. The "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" thing with Trigon surprised you didn't it? I just thought it would be some cool irony. It shows Raven's relation to Trigon. That spell, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos" I figure, is a spell that calls on the power of Azarath, so naturally Trigon would use it to summon Arella to his prison-where he is bound _by _the power of Azarath. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.


	3. Beast Boy

Authors note: Beast Boy! I probably know more about BB's comic history than  
anyone else's, due to the fact someone on a forum I belong to posted his  
original Doom Patrol History, from the beginning to when he went off with  
Galtry, and three pages of the 2004 redo. Once again, changes are made. I'm sorry this took so long, I actually finished it three weeks ago, but I couldn't submit the document because the site wasd busy, then I left for vacation...so...

Enjoy

Beast Boy

Drowning.

I'm drowning...

The water suffocated him. He couldn't find air; he desperately wanted it. He  
wanted to cough, choke, scream...he couldn't. He could just wait for his  
doom...the intense helplessness...the pressure in his head.

Why couldn't he turn into a fish or something? He tried...he tried as hard as  
he ever could. He was trapped.

Screams resonated in his head...screams of pain...Garfield! FLY!

"NO!"

Beast Boy jumped up in his bed, his head bashing against the top bunk. Ow.  
Why did he have a bunk bed anyway? He was the only one who slept here.

He hadn't had that dream in forever. He couldn't remember the last time he  
had that stupid dream! Why was he having it today of all days? Unless...

He leaned forward, in fact so far forward he fell of the bed, but before he  
did he caught a glimpse of the calendar.

It happened today.

Oh, man. He hated this day. He hated it more than any other day. He always  
had the dream on this day...it was like there was a stupid calendar in his  
head! How could he have forgotten? Why couldn't he just move on?

Well, whatever...he'd still have to be Beast Boy. Everyone's smiley cheer  
upper...guy...okay, whatever. It didn't matter what day it was. It happened  
eleven years ago.

Okay...right. He'd just have to act normal. Because today was just like any  
other day...and he'd be stupid to act any different.

Okayyyy... what was he supposed to do now? Oh, yeah, get up.

Beast Boy sauntered out of his room, yawning. As he clumped into the Tower,  
he saw Raven and Cyborg. Raven, who was floating a few inches from the  
floor, cross-legged, while reading a book, looked up at him in surprise.  
"What are you doing up so early?"  
Beast Boy shrugged and stared at the refrigerator. Seeing Cyborg and Raven  
looking at him, he opened it and examined it's contents.  
Two minutes later, Starfire and Robin arrived, Robin was ranting about  
Slade.  
"I know he's in the city, but I can't find him!"  
"How are you sure he is in our localized area?"  
"Well, his robot attacked BB a few weeks ago, so he must be around.  
Besides, I can feel him."  
"I do not understand."  
"I know he's here, Star. I just don't know why I can't find him!"  
"Well, our city is rather large.."  
"So, I was like, no way, man, football is so much better than basketball!  
And he was all 'Basketball is better!' An' I said, 'Dude, I just saved you  
from a giant goo monster, don't be tellin' me basketball is better!", Cyborg  
was telling Raven.  
"Fascinating..."  
"Beast Boy, can I get to the fridge?" Robin asked.  
"Oh, yeah, sure, I was just getting...food..." Beast Boy grabbed something  
blindly.  
"Beast Boy, that's ham."  
"Oh..." Beast Boy said. "Ew!" He dropped it. "Where's the tofu bacon?"  
"On the top shelf. Where you always keep it."  
"Oh, heh heh..." Beast Boy grabbed the tofu bacon and fled.  
"So anyway, do you think he's around, Star?"  
"Well, you are right to say that a villainous robot did attack Beast Boy in  
our absence, so he must be somewhere in our vicinity, but I believe it will  
be impossible to locate him, and we shall have to wait for 'his next attack'  
to garner any clues."  
"I hate that."  
"I am aware, Robin. Perhaps we should do something to distract you from the  
Slade today?"  
"So, Raven, which do you like better, football or basketball?"  
"Honestly, Cyborg? I perceive both as a waste of time."  
"Aw, c'mon, Rae, how could you say that?"  
"It is a pointless throwing of balls."  
"Hee hee..."  
"You have a perverted mind, Cyborg."  
"C'mon, you have to prefer one..."  
"I hate them both. Beast Boy, are you okay?"  
"Huh?" Beast Boy jumped. "Um, of course I am."  
"It's just, usually when we are having conversations, you like to interrupt  
them at particularly annoying junctures. We've been talking for ten minutes,  
and you haven't cracked one corny joke," Raven said.  
"Yeah, even when Raven said the throwing of-!" Cyborg stopped when Raven  
glared at him.  
"Ummm..." Beast Boy tried to think of something. "Okay, this mushroom goes to  
a bar. And the barman's like, Dude, we don't serve mushrooms, and then the  
mushrooms like, Oh, c'mon, dude I'm a fungi!"  
Cyborg and Raven stared at him.  
"Y'know, actually that's better than usual," Cyborg said.  
"I'll say. Anyway, reading is far superior to sports"  
"Oh, c'mon. Reading ain't active."  
"But it's good for your mind."  
"Mind. Pffft. Sport are fun."  
"So is reading. It's like going to a whole other world."  
"Yeah...but the urge to win, the primal instincts of sports...you can't beat  
that."  
"So you're saying sports are just a less dangerous way for man to work out  
his violent urges."  
"Uhh, no, not exactly-Beast Boy, are you sure you're okay?"  
"Yes! Why?"  
"Because, you're eating that sick bacon...and you haven't even cooked it?"  
Robin and Starfire turned to look at him on this point.  
"Ew," Robin said.  
"Does it taste better that way?" Starfire asked.  
"Um, I...recently discovered there's animal fat in our...cooking oil..." said  
Beast Boy, feeling slightly nauseated as he looked down at his bacon.  
All four of his teammates stared at him.  
"You are very weird,' Cyborg said.  
'Well, I am taking Robin to the arcade of games so he may relax," Starfire  
said cheerfully.  
"I do not need to relax..."  
"Goodbye, friends, we shall return after lunch," Starfire cut him off  
happily, and dragged Robin out the door.  
"Its lucky for him she's around," Raven said.  
"Yeah. You know, Starfire likes sports."  
"Starfire likes everything. Huh, I just noticed, it's raining."  
"Raven, for a logical girl, you sure are random sometimes."  
"I noticed the weather. Big deal."  
"Yeah, but that was just-Beast Boy, what's wrong?"  
"For the last time, nothing!" Beast Boy snapped.  
"You're still not talking, and you haven't eaten anything. Give it up."  
"Yeah, Beast Boy, I can feel your sadness from over here..." Raven droned.  
"I am not sad!"  
"Is this about Terra?"  
"What?" Beast Boy hadn't even thought about Terra's recent return for a  
change.  
'You know, maybe if all of us go to that high school and talk to her..." Raven  
said.  
"No! She told me she wants to be left alone!" Beast Boy said vehemently.  
"Besides, what do you care?"  
"Ah, c'mon, B, we're your friends. We don't like to see ya all gloomy,"  
Cyborg cried.  
"Yeah," Raven agreed. "Even if it does make you way less annoying."  
"I TOLD you! I'm FINE!" He turned to Cyborg. "Wanna play video games?"  
"Okaaaaayyyy..." Cyborg said."Rave-?"  
"No."  
"Never hurts to ask," Cyborg shrugged. "Mega Monkeys 4, here we-"  
Just then a giant thunderbolt cracked like a whip, and the room went dark.  
"Awww, man, the power's out!" Cyborg moaned, his light on his shoulder  
unfolding.  
"You can't play video games. Big deal," Raven said in a monotone.  
"I hate thunderstorms."  
Beast Boy ignored both of them, and watched the raindrops fall against the  
gray sky, sliding down the windowpane like billions of tears"

The lab was bright and colorful and full of interesting gadgets, which was  
why Garfield liked to play there. However, when you're playing, accidents  
are bound to happen. It was a sacrifice that had to be made. The mean man  
who shared their house with them didn't seem to understand this.  
"I want that goofball kid of yours to stop messing around in the lab!"  
"Lighten up at little, Samuel, it's not like he caused serious damage. We'll keep him out of the lab from now on."  
"He broke my beaker!"  
"I'll get you a new one!"  
"And he called me Science-head!"  
"That was kind of funny..."  
"Oh yeah, regular comedian, that kid of yours."  
"Garfield, don't go in Dr. Registers lab from now on," Gar's mother leaned  
down and told him while his dad and the mean man argued.  
"You mean Mr. Science Head?"  
" STOP THAT!"  
"And don't call him that. I want you to say sorry for what you did."  
"Sorry, Dr. Sc- Reg-I-ster"  
"Brat," the scientist muttered, stomping away.  
"Why doesn't he like me, Mommy?" Gar asked wonderingly.  
"He's not a 'kids' person, dear. But we'll have to share a house with him  
while your father and I do research here, so be nice. Now come out and play,  
while Mommy fixes another oil leak. Good luck dealing with Mr. Science Head,  
dear."  
Gar's father snickered, while Mr. Register yelled, "I heard that!"  
Gar followed his mother outside, humming to himself.  
While his mother opened the jeep trunk, Gar got out his toys from the hole  
in the ground where he kept them and started making the lion and the  
dinosaur fight.  
"I hate this da-uh, stupid jeep. It always leaks oil. I tell Mark to repair  
it but Nooo...there are no auto repair shops in Africa, dear," Gars mother  
mumbled. "So of course I have to fix it. Mark knows nothing of proper  
vehicle care..."  
Gar played contentedly with his animals.  
"I am bigger! Rawwwr! I will eat you!"  
"But I am furry! Rawwr! So there!"  
"Rawwr! I'm a cold-bloodered lizard!  
"Rawwr! I'm a warm bloodered...uh...not lizard!"  
Suddenly, the young boy heard a rustling in the grass. He looked up and saw  
a green monkey hanging from the trees. In his short life, Garfield had seen  
many monkeys, but none that were green. This did not trouble him much  
though. Leaving his plastic lion and dinosaur on the grass he ventured  
forward. The monkey regarded him with mad yellow eyes.  
"Heh...funny monkey..." Gar reached out to brush his fingers against it.  
Suddenly the monkey lashed out, sinking its powerful jaws into Gars tiny  
arm. The boy let out a high-pitched scream, falling backwards into the  
grass.  
He felt pain shoot up his body from the wound...the green monkey was running  
away...  
"GARFIELD!" He felt himself being lifted into his mother's arms, but now  
everything was bright lights and pain...he could hear their voices but not  
understand the words...  
_  
"Green monkey...he must have sakutia!"  
"The green capped mangabey? Where did it go? I've been-"  
"I don't care about your damn monkey, my son...!"  
"Calm down, Marie..."  
"He's going to die."  
'Not if I can help it...only animals can survive this disease...1.6 difference  
in DNA between human and chimp...our research is...if we can get animal DNA into  
him..."  
"Not going to work...if only the monkey hadn't gone..."  
"Shut up!"  
"We have a lab...this is what we've been working towards anyway...we can do  
it...48 hours..."_  
_  
He disappeared down a long white hole...falling falling...yet feeling safe, as a  
gentle breeze wafted him away. _

"Oh my God, Mark! We did it!"  
"He's regaining consciousness! Thank God! I can't believe it!"  
"I-I thought w-we'd lose him..."  
"We didn't-Oh my-Gar? Garfield? Can you hear us?"  
The boy opened his eyes.  
"M-Mommy? Daddy?"  
 Gar! His mother hugged him.  
"Ow..."  
"We really cured him!" Garfield's father cried.  
"I see there's a side effect though..." Dr. Register said.  
_They do call it Green Fever..._

And that was his first step to becoming a freak, really. Ironic, that he was  
the one who should have died...and they were the one's who shouldn't have...life  
has a sick sense of humor sometimes...worse than even the corniest of Beast  
Boy's jokes.

And of course, it turned out that being green wasn't the only side effect of  
having your life saved by being pumped full of animal DNA serum...

It happened a week later.  
His mother had been reading to him. It was a monkey book, so she could get  
Gar to 'not be afraid of monkeys' though when Beast Boy looked back upon it;  
he thought it was really her who had developed a fear...  
"Monkey arms are long and hairy. They use them to eat bananas and swing from  
tree to tree..."  
Gar looked down at his own short arms. He wondered what it would be like to  
have monkey arms...would he be able to swing from trees? He though of all the  
monkey arms he'd ever seen...he thought of that mean green monkey's arms...  
"Monkeys have thumbs just like us-OH MY GOD!" His mother screamed suddenly.  
...Because Gar's arms were stretching and changing...getting hairier and longer  
and the harder he thought of it, the more his arms looked like a monkey's!  
"Neat!" the child exclaimed.  
"MARK!" His mother screamed.  
"Marie? What is it?"  
Gar's dad ran into the room. When he saw his son's arms, his mouth fell  
open.  
"LOOK AT THIS!"  
"Whoa," Gar's father declared. "Holy-" he leaned in to look closer. "...This  
must be a side effect from the serum!"

"What if he can't change back?"  
"Garfield...think about changing back to normal..."  
Garfield obliged. His arms shortened and shrank back to their original  
state.  
"Do you suppose it's just monkeys or...any...?" his mother asked, her mouth  
agape.  
"Garfield, could you think about changing into...a...mouse?"  
Gar did. And slowly but surely he shrank into full mouse form.  
"This is unbelievable!"  
"I guess it's any animal then...Gar, change back."  
He did, though it took about ten minutes.  
"My head hurts...can I stop now?" the child complained.  
"Sure, Gar...but don't tell anyone about this. Understand me?"  
"Yes, Daddy."  
"Especially Dr. Register," Marie said. "I don't like that man!"  
"Now, Marie, don't be paranoid..."

So over the next month, Beast Boy practiced changing animals. Eventually, he  
was able to change into a bird, a mouse and a monkey really quickly. He had  
trouble with anything else, especially big animals. But no power in the  
world could save them from what was coming...

In the jungle, you had your rainy seasons. So the Logans werent alarmed at  
first by the unbearably hard rain. Dr. Register had gone back home to do  
some research for a few months, so they were all alone when it started  
really flooding.  
"It's rising fast," Gar's mother said, looking out the window.  
"It'll cool down," his dad answered nervously. "But I'll get the boat..."  
The boy had never seen rain fall so hard and unrelenting...it didn't take more  
than fifteen minutes before the flood was washing away the camp.  
The family managed to get in the boat as the flood crushed their house to  
splinters. But the current was way too strong. His parents paddled  
desperately against it, but they edged closer and closer to the unfathomably  
tall waterfall.  
With a crack, the paddles broke apart, splinters of wood rushing away in the  
water. His father turned desperately toward him.  
"Gar, you can save yourself. Turn into a bird and fly out of here."  
"But...you and Mommy...the waterfall..."  
His mother's face was drawn and pale, while his father looked slightly  
green.  
"It'll be fine," his mother whispered. "I love you, baby."  
They rushed closer and closer to the waterfall. The kid sat frozen in the  
boat like a deer caught in headlights.  
"D-don't leave me..."  
"Garfield..."  
"N-No...!"  
"Garfield, GO!" His father grabbed him and threw him into the air. The boy  
automatically turned into a bird. His mother cried something at him as they  
rushed over the waterfall, but the waters roar drowned it out. A loud  
screech escaped the bird's beak as his parents fell down the waterfall. This  
was what it sounded like when a bird screamed.

After the tragedy, with no where else to go, the little green boy ran deep  
into the jungle, with nowhere else to go, and lived with the animals. They  
were his family for about a month, before the Doom Patrol, on a jungle  
mission, found the boy and were impressed by his talents. After hearing his  
tragic story, they took him in and trained him to be part of their team. He  
accepted the name Beast Boy, and his position as the 'child'. It didn't take  
long for Beast Boy to figure out Mento was stern and strict, and he made  
sure never to cross him.  
He must have been six when Mento discovered his fear of water. It was on a  
mission when he refused to go in the water, and started screaming when they  
tried to make him. Naturally, Mento couldn't let a little thing like fear  
ruin their sense of martyrdom, so the next day...

"Mento, are you sure this a good idea?"  
"If the boy's afraid of water, he has to work through it, Rita. What if he  
jeopardizes a mission even worse in the future? What if his fear gets us all  
killed? The Doom Patrol does not allow weakness. Are you ready, Beast Boy?"  
"P-Please..." the small green child said. "D-don't..."  
Mento ignored him and picked him up, holding him over the surface of the  
glistening lake.  
Beast Boy tried to scream, but no sound would come out of his mouth. He was  
positively petrified. He couldn't move. He couldn't even see. Fear blinded  
him.  
"Steve..."  
Mento let go and Beast Boy was submerged.  
He sank slowly, the water pressing on him like a wall.  
He couldn't breathe...  
He couldn't breathe!  
He thrashed around, terrified, but kept sinking like a stone. He tried once  
again to scream, but he inhaled water and it filled his head...darkness  
terrible darkness everywhere...water unrelenting...Mento would rescue him...no, he  
wouldn't...he was dying, dying!  
Pressure on his skull...no place to go...this is what it must have felt like for  
his parents...his oxygen was cut off...screams, shouts...how long had it  
been...three minutes? An hour? A lifetime...he was going to die like them...but  
they hadn't had a choice...he did. If he died now, it was all a waste...he could  
feel death approaching...he knew he could do it... if he just...if he just...  
Fish!  
He was a green salmon, and the water suddenly felt cool and inviting. He  
swam up to the surface, turning into a human as he broke it, hoisting  
himself up by his shaking arms. As he lay, gasping on the deck, Elasti-girl  
knelt down beside him. Mento surveyed him blankly.  
'See? I told you,' the leader finally said. 'There's nothing to be afraid  
of.'

After that, all traces of fear of the water disappeared. He actually kind of  
liked the water now. Mento's plan had worked. So why did Beast Boy feel  
angry every time he remembered that moment?

The green teenager pondered this as he listened to Cyborg and Raven argue  
and watched the rain fall steadily. He felt oddly peaceful...remembering...  
His reverie was broken by the screeching sound of an alarm bell.  
"Trouble!' Cyborg and Raven said together. Raven logged onto the Titans  
computer. 'They have a situation down at the labs...some psycho...not to mention  
a lot of damage...we'll need Starfire and Robin."  
"I'll get 'em, you and BB go check it out," Cyborg ordered.  
Raven nodded and pulled her hood up over her head, Beast Boy leaped up from  
his seat and both of them made tracks for the labs.  
When they arrived, they found the place in total chaos.  
"Someone set the lab on fire! Word is some nasty experiment's goin' down!"  
One of the fleeing scientists was kind enough to inform them.  
"Dude, do you think they're like making the next Frankenstein in there, or  
something?"  
"Frankenstein's actually the doctor, not the monster, in Mary Shelley's  
original book," Raven said automatically.  
"There's a book?"  
Raven sighed, and teleported them into the inside of the building.  
"I'll take the right, you take the left," Raven told him. "Find out who's  
behind this. We'll take them down, the others can stop the fires!"  
Beast Boy nodded and took off, leaping nimbly over the fires in rabbit form.  
Eventually he reached a room, where a scientist was backed up against a wall  
of flame. Beast Boy punched through the wall in ape form, and tore out some  
pipes, using the water to douse the flame, and stomping it out as a dinosaur  
as well.  
"Dude, are you okay?" Beast Boy said, turning back into a human. The ceiling  
gave an ominous shaking sound. "This way!" Beast Boy grabbed the scientist's  
wrist and they raced into a room just as the ceiling fell in.  
Beast Boy gasped when he saw what was in the room.  
"Whoa," Beast Boy said, seeing three children strapped against a wall. Their  
eyes were closed. Were they dead or unconscious? He leaned forward. They  
were breathing. "This must be the sick experiment they were talking about!"  
The scientist was regarding Beast Boy with surprise and curiosity. "Garfield  
Logan?"  
Beast Boy spun around.  
"How do you know my name?"  
"Well, I never have encountered another green child since I last saw you in  
the jungle..."  
"No way!" Beast Boy gasped, recognizing the man's familiar sharp black eyes  
and slight frown. "Dr. Science Head?"  
"That's Dr. Register," the familiar man snapped. "Garfield, did you turn  
into an animal back there?"  
"Uh, yeah, that was actually a side effect of the cure for the whole monkey  
thing. I can turn into animal I want. They call me Beast Boy now."  
"I never knew that...that's astounding!"  
"This is so weird...what are you doing in Jump City?'  
"Well, Jump City has the top geneticists in the country working in this lab,  
so naturally I wanted to work with the best."  
"Uh, it does?" Beast Boy said. "Learn something new every day."  
"Of course."  
Beast Boy suddenly remembered the kids. "Well, the blast from the past has  
been nice, but I gotta save these kids and catch the psycho who did this..."  
Beast Boy reached forward to unhook the first child from her restraints.  
Suddenly, something bashed into the side of his head with considerable pain.  
Beast Boy was flung into a nearby wall by the force. Half dazed, he looked  
up to see Dr. Register holding a crowbar.  
"What are you doing?" Beast Boy cried.  
"The experiment is not yet finished."  
"YOU'RE the psycho who's experimenting on these children?" Beast Boy cried.  
"You always were a little slow..."  
"But why?" Beast Boy forced himself up.  
"I needed humans to experiment on."  
"These are children!"  
"Well, if they're anything like you were, I don't feel very guilty."  
Beast Boy glared at the man.  
"Dude, these are innocent children. As a superhero, I have to protect the  
innocent. If you give this up now, and come quietly, I won't have to hurt  
you."  
Dr. Register laughed. "I feel intimidated. You're not smart enough to bring  
me down. As soon as I heard someone coming, I pretended to be a poor scared  
scientist afraid of the fire."  
"Okay, you're under arrest."  
"You don't have that kind of power. Besides, it's my right to be a  
scientist."  
"The Teen Titans are a super powered police force here. If I say you're a  
criminal, you might as well be locked up right now."  
"Well, well, well," Register drawled. "How things have changed."  
He charged at Beast Boy, swinging the crowbar. This time, Beast Boy was  
ready. He turned into a hummingbird and dodged the blow, then came down as a  
bull, ramming Register into a wall.  
"News flash," Beast Boy said angrily. "I'm not a little kid anymore." He  
pulled out his communicator. "Beast Boy calling Raven. I've found our  
psycho, and the kids he's experimenting on."  
"Great. I'm in a bind here, and the rest of the Titans are putting out the  
fire. Do you need backup?"  
"No, I can handle this guy myself."  
"Are you sure about that, Garfield?" Dr. Register was up and swinging the  
crowbar at Beast Boy, who had to duck.  
"Um, Beast Boy, how does the criminal know your incredibly lame first name?"  
the communicator sounded.  
"LATER, Raven!" Beast Boy cried, dropping his communicator and turning into  
a tiger He swiped the crowbar out of the mad scientist's hand and pinned him  
against the wall with two powerful paws. The madman managed to press a  
button on his wristwatch and a laser beamed down from the ceiling. Beast Boy  
had to flip out of the way as a human, and then he turned into an ape and  
jumped up and crushed the laser. By the time he had changed back to normal,  
Dr. Register was gone.  
"Wha-?" Beast Boy muttered, but was distracted by the crackling of flames  
outside the doorway. He hurriedly unhooked the three children, pulling all  
sorts of tubes out of them. The little ones eyes groggily fluttered. Beast  
Boy couldn't imagine what Dr. Register had done to them.  
"Okay, guys, I'm here to save you. There's a fire going on, and I'm gonna  
have to fly you around it, but you're safe now, so don't be scared, okay?"  
The little kids nodded.  
Beast Boy smiled and turned in to a pterodactyl. He got the kids in his  
talons and flew through the gap in the fire. It was hard not to harm the  
kids in the small gaps between the fires, he'd often sing his wings or back  
in an attempt to protect them. Flying grew more and more painful; finally,  
they reached the front of the building.  
Beast Boy morphed back. He could hear the sounds of policemen and sirens and  
crowds outside the building.  
"You guys go outside, there'll be people to take care of you there, Beast  
Boy told the kids.  
One of the girls whispered, "Thank you," before they scattered out the door.  
Beast Boy turned around, determined to find the other Titans, when suddenly,  
Dr. Register dropped out of nowhere, clutching a syringe and looking  
positively maniacal. Beast Boy didn't have time to react before the mad  
scientist plunged the needle into his arm.  
"OW! DUDE!" Beast Boy fell back, but the man kept the shot in his arm and  
pulled out the back, Beast Boy gave a scream of pain as the syringe filled  
up with his own blood. He pushed the man off him, but not before the shot  
was filled with red plasma. "What are you doing?"  
"Your blood, your genes, carries the mutated sakutia virus and the shape  
shifting ability. Who knows what I can do with this?"  
"Oh yeah, well-" Beast Boy tried to get up, but his muscles felt weak. "Hey,  
what did you do?"  
"Oh, did I mention the needle of the syringe was dipped in a serum that  
weakened your muscles? Now I can take care of you," Dr. Register pulled out  
the crowbar and knocked Beast Boy on the head again, almost knocking him  
out.  
As he pulled back the crowbar for a second- possibly fatal- blow, a  
birdarang zipped and knocked it out of his hand. The scientist spun around  
to see the other four Titans standing there looking furious. Robin caught  
his birdarang. "Get away from our friend," he growled.  
"Azarath Metrion _Zinthos_!" Raven grabbed the crowbar with her power and  
knocked Register away from Beast Boy.  
The last thing Beast Boy saw was Register trying to evade a rain of  
starbolts and sonic cannon blasts before he blacked out.

"Yo, Beast Boy! Beast Boy, wake up!"  
Beast Boy opened his eyes to see Cyborg, Robin and Starfire staring down at  
him  
"Where am I?"  
"In the Tower infirmary, man. You okay?" Cyborg asked.  
He felt someone's hands on his head.  
"Raven, why are you feeling my hair?"  
"Shut up, I'm healing you. Your arms are next; you got burned by the fire,  
not to mention a hole in your arm. You'll be fine after I'm done with you  
though."  
"Where's Register?"  
"He escaped," Starfire said.  
"Not before he took one heck of a beating though. I thought Robin was gonna  
kill 'im. I think Starfire knocked out half his teeth and Raven looked like  
she was gonna rip his head off and use it for volleyball practice."  
"Thank you for that vivid image, Cyborg," Raven droned.  
"Yeah, well, Cyborg was smashing him against the wall and yelling 'Nobody  
messes with my best friend, punk,'" Robin said. "But he eventually pulled  
some smoke thing and by the time it cleared he was gone."  
"He did not manage to escape with this, though," Starfire said, holding up  
the syringe. "Tell me, Beast Boy, for what purpose did he wish to have your  
plasma?  
"He wanted to use my shape shifting ability or something," Beast Boy said,  
though he knew the plans involving the virus were more sinister.  
"Weird. From what we can gather, the fire was either a result of one of his  
experiments, or he started it in a rage, to get everyone out of the place."  
"He yelled some pretty strange things," Robin said.  
"How did he know your name?" Raven asked, healing his arm now.  
"He knew my parents," Beast Boy muttered.  
"Oh."  
There was silence. None of the team liked to talk about their past much,  
Beast Boy realized.  
"Done," Raven said after a few minutes. "You're as good as new."  
"Thanks, Raven," Beast Boy said, getting up.  
"We'll catch him," Robin said.  
"Okay."  
There was more silence.  
"So...um...I'm hungry?" Beast Boy said.  
"Pizza?" Cyborg ventured.  
"I'm more on the mood for Mexican."  
"All right."  
"We shall dine at the restaurant of Mexicans!"  
"In the T car, everyone!"  
They all ran out the door. Cyborg stopped, letting Beast Boy catch up.  
"You sure you're okay, little dude?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine."  
"You are my best bud, ya know that right?"  
"Yeah...you too, dude."  
"...Okay enough mushy stuff, let's get our dinner on!"

The car hydroplaned across the glistening undisturbed water. The sun was out  
now, and dewdrops were glistening on wet grass. Register was gone, but he  
would be back. Beast Boy wasn't even surprised at the irony of meeting him  
again on his parent's death's anniversary. This was the day. Anything could  
happen.  
He was with the Titans now. He would always remember his parents...he would  
always be sad about that. But his parents were his parents, and they were in  
his heart, and that would never change. And he knew who he was, no matter  
what name, no matter what virus and no matter how many years passed. Then  
why was he still scared? Why was he still unsure?  
As the T-car rolled down the street, he thought he saw a girl with long  
blonde hair coming out of her high school, and felt a surreal sort of  
longing.  
He sat back, tired of looking out the window.  
Yeah...he knew who he was...  
"Okay, dudes," he began. "There was a lawyer, a nun and a cantaloupe in a  
bar..."


	4. Starfire

AN: Starfire! Everyone's favorite alien asskicker in a miniskirt! Once again, borrowed some elements from comic book history, changed a lot of things. One big thing in particular. And to make things clear: Komand'r is Blackfire's real name, Koriand'r is Starfire's. KoryStar KammieBlack...in the flashbacks you'll notice two things...Star refers to herself as Starfire, though the characters call her Koriand'r or Kory. This is because, as a flashback, Star will refer to herself by her earth name, but the people in the flash back will not. Also, it's easier for me. In Blackfire's flashbacks, she only refers to them by their Tamaranien names. Eh, you'll get it when you read it. And for another thing...in the flashbacks, Star will use contractions and proper grammar, because she's speaking Tamaranean.

Enjoy.

Starfire

"Looks like a UFO..." Robin said quietly from behind the hedges.

Starfire looked at him sideways. "I am not familiar with this term..."

"Space ship..."

"Oh! A ship of space!" Starfire leaned forward eagerly. "Do we not know yet if they are a threat?"

"The alert only stated it was a U- spaceship landing...we don't know if they're a threat or not...I have Cyborg, Raven and Beast Boy staitoned on the other side of the lot though...just in case..."

Suddenly, the strange space devices door clanged open...out of it came...

"Er, Robin, from the vast size of those weapons and the disgruntled expressions on the faces of these outer space travelers, I would indeed assume that they are threatening this blue and green planet."

"I assume you're right..." Robin flipped out his communicator. "Titans..."

"Oh, wait!" Starfire suddenly recognized the white ratlike species. "These are Ktulainains!"

"Ummm...they are?"

"Yes! They threatened Tamaran when I was a young child. However, we effectively 'kicked the butt' and now they have a treaty with us! Indeed, they are most afraid of Tamaranians. I am sure I could persuade them to take a more peaceful approach to earth."

"Um...are you really, really sure..." Robin was wide eyed through his mask.

"Most certain."

"Robin?" Cyborg's voice crackled on the communicator. "Yo, are we taking down these aliens or what?"

"Stand down!" Robin said after a moment's hesistation. "Starfire knows these aliens. She's gonna try to talk to him...don't move unless I signal you!"

Robin turned to her. "Okay Star, try to talk to the aliens. We're standing by if things get ugly..."

Starfire nodded, and popped out of the bush. "Hello, space comrades!"

The aliens turned, pointing their weapons at her.

Starfire switched to Tamaranean. _"Pteu jijin exst Tamaran Koriand'r. Yinel lisn reknar!"'_

The aliens lowered their weapons. "Tamaran?" they replied, looking slightly fearful.

_"Tinst! X'hal_!"

The leader stepped forward suspiciously. "What would the princess of Tamaran be doing on Earth?" he asked in English.

"You remember the Tamaranian war with the Citadel?" Starfire said.

The Ktulainains made noises of affirmation and anger. Nobody liked the Citadel.

"Our planet gave up my sister and I to slavery to prevent our planet's destruction. I escaped to Earth. Now this is my home and I am most fond of my friends here, so I am asking you nicely to please leave the planet."

The Ktulainains still looked skeptical. "And if we don't want to?"

Starfire's eyes blazed and a Starbolt lit up in her hand. "That would be a direct violation of our treaty. You would have not only to answer to me, but to the entire Tamaranian populace."

The Ktulainains seemed to jump back as one.

"W-Well, we Ktulainains are honorable and we wouldn't want to...violate the treaty..." the alien king stammered.

"Most certainly not!" Starfire said brightly.

"So...we'll just...go...then..."

"I wish you pleasant luck on your other endeavors!" Starfire said cheerfully, letting her Starbolt power down. The aliens scurried back into their spaceship, and Starfire waved after them as they zoomed away.

The other Titans popped out of the bushes.

"Woohoo! Go Starfire!" Beast Boy cheered.

"It's nice to be able to solve something non violently for once," Raven said.

"Yeah, less work for us...what's the matter, Robin?" Cyborg asked, for Robin was looking at Starfire with an odd expression on his face.

"He's upset he didn't get to kick something," Beast Boy snickered.

"Your planet gave you and your sister up for slavery?" Robin asked Starfire.

"Yes, the Citadel threat was most oppressive. They said they would leave us alone if Tamaran gave them I and Blackfire, and my planet accepted the treaty."

"They TRADED you into slavery to get the Citadel to stop attacking? And your parents allowed this?"

"My parents were deceased at the time and my k'norfka had no power over the court. Is something wrong, Robin?"

"Well...I just think it's horrible that they would do that to you purposefully!" Robin said indignantly. "I thought you were their princess?"

"It was either give up two strong Tamaranian females to servitude or let the entire populace of Tamaran perish under the Citadel. The court did not have a choice. Do not question my planet's integrity, Robin, for they merely did what they had to do!" Starfire snapped.

"Whoa, Star, calm down," Cyborg said. Starfire realized her eyes were blazing and that Robin's were widened. She felt surprised. She rarely got angry at _Robin_.

"I'm sorry, Starfire..." Robin said in surprise. "I didn't mean anything..."

Starfire forced herself to smile. "It is fine. Let us return to our T shaped fortress."

She spun around on her feel and began to walk swiftly away from the lot, the others followed slowly, and Starfire heard a beeping that indicated Robin was looking at the communicator while he was walking.

"Huh, that's weird."

"What?" Raven asked.

"I'm picking up a unusual energy signature, even though the ship left. I'll have to check it out on the Titans computer when we get home."

They reached the T car, but Starfire hesistated getting in.

"Starfire?" Robin asked.

"I-I would prefer to fly to the tower...I wish to feel the unbridled joy of flight at this moment."

"O-okay, but-"

Starfire took off into the air, the feel of the wind rushing around her making her feel infinitely better. Her conversation with Robin rang in her head most unpleasantly.

_"And your parents allowed this?"_

_"My parents were deceased at the time..."_

Truthfully, she remembered very little about her parents...they had died when she was five...a few vague images of her beautiful laughing mother fluttering around the house...her father's strong voice...most of what she knew, she heard from Blackfire's stories, and with her sisters betrayal she wondered if those were even true...

When they were younger, Blackfire and herself had been friends...of sorts. Closer than they were now, indeed. Her sister had always been selfish and mean spirited, but it was lesser in the younger days, more so Starfire could ignore it. It grew over the years, to where the two were often at odds, but Starfire still loved and believed in her sister, and Blackfire occasionally still showed a soft spot for her. But the soft spot got smaller and smaller...and when the Gordanians took them...Starfire supposed whatever kindness towards her sister Blackfire had left was beaten out of her.

But, Starfire could still remember her sisters stories.

"I think Mother liked you best," she would sometimes say with a hint of bitterness.

"But...why?" Starfire would ask.

"Because I was born with white eyes."

On Tamaran, having whites to your eyes was a sign of bad blood...especially on royalty. It was rare... only about fifteen people on Tamaran currently had it.

"And black hair," Blackfire said bitterly. "A deadly combination."

"Sister, I think your appearance is lovely."

"Of course _you _do," Blackfire rolled her cursed eyes. "But you don't matter, little sister. Anyway, before you interrupted my story...mother was beautiful...Father was handsome. They both loved you so much...Mother always said she could tell you were destined for great things, even if you weren't first in line for Grand Ruler..."my little bumgorf" (sweetheart) she'd always call you...anyway, they were very busy as Grand Rulers...then...the Citadel attacked...they killed them...do you remember when we ran away?"

"I do not..."

"It was only four years ago, you little dunce! I remember it so clearly...so very clearly...I-" she looked at Starfire as if considering something.

"What is it, sister?"

"...never mind. Anyway, we are still at war with them to this very day..."

"I don't like to think about it..." Starfire shuddered. If she focused hard, she could hear shouting and yelling outside, as well as the occasional weapon blast.

"There's nothing to think about, sister. There's nothing to think about." Blackfire turned away, and Star was afraid to ask her what she meant.

Sometimes, deep inside herself, Starfire felt an ache for her missing parents. But being a mostly optimistic person, she had managed to ignore it. There was no use for dwelling on the past, when the present was such a nice place to be. Though sometimes, the past haunted her dreams, and memories, refusing to be forgotten...

_Our planet gave up my sister and I to slavery to prevent our planet's destruction. I escaped to Earth..._

She remembered that day clearly indeed...

"Koriand'r...Komand'r...we of the Tamaranian court and clergy have had to make a very difficult decision..."

"What kind of decision?" Starfire's sister interrupted suspiciously.

"Please! Allow us to finish, young Highness...we have signed a treaty to end the war with the Gordanians."

"Oh, that is glorious!" Starfire cried. "I'm glad the war has finally ended!"

"Koriand'r, please...control the outbursts for a second."

"You are so weak sometimes..." Blackfire muttered.

"Sorry..." Star blushed.

"Of course, there is a condition for the treaty...and regrettably, it involves you..."

"I knew it!" Blackfire blurted.

"Involving us? How?" the younger sibling asked.

"Well...we have to...give you two to the Gordanians...they will trade you as servants to the Citadel..."

"WHAT?" Blackfire exploded.

"I don't understand! Why?"

"They...say that people...pay alot for young royals as slaves.."

"Especially the pretty ones..." a Gordanian standing by leered.

Galfore stood up. "You cannot do this to Kory! Or Komand'r!"

"And yet, we can," the magistrate said. "You know the law Galfore...and you have no power to change it..."

"They are your princesses!"

"I am aware. It is a difficult decision, yet we have permission...and no choice."

The Gordanians moved forward, and the two princesses backed away.

"I won't go!" Blackfire snarled.

"I don't wish to go either!" Star cried.

"That's too bad," the Gordanians snarled, reaching to grab them, but was forced back by a purple starbolt from a furious Blackfire. "Get back, you slimy inferior," she snarled.

"Try and touch me and you'll get the same," Starfire warmed up her starbolts.

"You must go! Don't make this difficult!" the magistrate warned.

"But...please...I don't wish to leave! This is my home..." Starfire cried, tears gathering in her eyes.

Blackfire swore at the magistrate who narrowed his eyes and looked away from her, toward Starfire. "Princess Koriand'r," he said softly. "They are too powerful for Tamaran to defeat. They will kill us all...every last one. But they agreed to leave us alone, if we give them you. You must go. Do you want our entire planet's blood on your hands?"

Starfire let her starbolts fizzle out. "No..." she said softly.

"If you truly love your planet, your Highness, you will go with them."

Starfire locked eyes with the magistrate. "Fine," she said in a defeated voice. "I will go."

"Not me!" Blackfire snarled. "I don't care if the whole planet dies, I hate them all anyway! I'm not going!"

"Komand'r!" Starfire cried.

"Shut up, Kory. Just because you're a blubbering idiot doesn't mean I have to be! I'll kill you all!"

She planted a kick in the Gordanian near her's stomach.

"Secure her!" A Gordanian cried.

"Don't hurt my sister!" Starfire screamed as five Gordanians piled on Blackfire.

"Silence, child!" A Gordanian grabbed her by the hair, making her shreik.

"She struggles...silence her!" a Gordanian restraining Blackfire cried.

"HER! JUST TAKE HER!" Blackfire pointed wildly to her sister. "Isn't she enough?"

"KOMAN-ARGGHHH!" Starfire screamed as the aliens zapped her sister with a stunner, rendering her unconcious. Her captor smacked her on the back of the head.

"Do not harm Koriand'r!" Galfore rumbled.

The alien merely laughed and grabbed Star by the hair again, but she kicked him hard, making him fall back. "I will go quietly!" she breathed spinning around. "But only is you don't hit me!"

"Fair enough, princess," the Gordanian laughed, and he grabbed Star by the arm, dragging her toward the entrance, while the others toted the unconcious Blackfire.

"Goodbye, Koriand'r, my child!" Galfore cried, his voice choked with emotion.

"G-Goodbye, Galfore," she sobbed. "I-I don't wish to l-leave you and I-I love you and-"

"Stop your blubbering," the Gordanian snapped, and he dragged Starfire into the cold darkness of the Goradanian spaceship...

"Sister...sister..." Starfire shook her prone sibling. "Wake up, please!"

Blackfire groaned and rolled over. Opening her violet eyes, she slowly sat up. "Where am I?"

"We are in Gordanian captivity," Starfire shivered.

"What? Oh, X'hal..." Blackfire closed her eyes in concentration. Suddenly they snapped open, blazing like a demon's. "How dare they do this to me!"

"Us," Starfire reminded her.

"Whatever."

Starfire sighed and slumped back on the cold stone wall. "We are princesses. We must makes sarcrifices to save our planet."

"Princesses being treated like SLAVES? It's the peasants that should make the sacrifices, Koriand'r, not us! Obviously, our planet doesn't care for us at all."

"They do! They just-"

"Care for themselves more?"

"Well...we're talking one planets entire destruction...or two teenage girls being sold into slavery. Which one sounds more horrible to you?"

"Oh, give me a break, Kory.The Citadel isn't that big a threat. I could take them down myself!"

"Right, sister."

"I could!"

"There are too many of them ...there was a time when Tamaran could defeat the Citadel...but without rulers, our planet is directionless...and divided. They could not win this war. We must think of our planet..."

"You disgust me, Koriand'r," Blackfire snorted. "Just shut up!"

"You're upset, I can tell."

"YEAH! You know how the Citadel treat their slaves. They'll beat us! They'll RAPE us..."

Starfire gave a snort to match her sisters. "I won't let them..."

"You won't have a choice, you idiot!"

Starfire was much too tired to muster up anger, and watched as her sister paced. "I will get out of here...it may take weeks, days, months...but the journey to the Citadel is a long one. The door won't hold."

Without further ado, Blackfire began shooting starbolts at the prison door with no effect...

"I've already tried that..."

"Try with me!" Blackfire spun around, her eyes blazing. "If we don't give up, eventually it will break down."

Starfire stood up, the room spinning around her. She was so exhausted, yet couldn't sleep...still she managed to summon up enough righteous fury to shoot bolts along with Blackfire. After a few minute, the door swung open, causing the two girls to jump back.

"STOP THAT!" the Gordanian backhanded Starfire across the face, and she crashed into the wall. Blackfire didn't react, merely stared at the Gordanian. Then suddenly, she attempted to make a break for it under the lizards arm. But she was stopped dead by another massive Gordanian, who flung her back into the room. The first one turned to Starfire. "Insolent slave! I shall beat you into silence."

Starfire, sitting up, narrowed her eyes, two spectacular starbolts blooming from her hands. "I should like to see you try!"

The Gordanian laughed, and suddenly others teamed up behind him. Starfire's eyes widened. Too many of them, even for her. As they closed in, she shot Starbolts and kicks left and right, but it was no use, and only made the beating they gave her worse...

And so the days progressed. Little food, ruthless beatings from the Gordanians, and being locked up with her sisters foul temper. The siblings were fitted with handcuffs, so they could no longer use their Starbolts. They were traded off from ship to ship, the pilots never getting better, only worse. One even tried to sexually assault Koriand'r, but didn't get very far, for she deprived him of his means of copulatian with a quick twist and yank...with her feet. The story got around, and no one tried that again. It seemed so bleak and desperate, but Starfire clung to hope...hope that she and her sister would escape, hope for a better life.

And one day, Blackfire escaped. This was all because of one mistake the Gordanians made...they sent someone to give the sisters their food alone.

Starfire did not notice this, because she was only half concious at the time. But her sister certainly did. As soon as she saw the lone Gordanian through the open door, she attacked. With a uppercut using her handcuffs, she rendered him unconcious and ran through the door, not bothering to wait for her sister.

"KOMAND'R!" Starfire stumbled up and tried to follow, but the Gordanians had heard the commotion. Four of the lizardlike aliens held Starfire back, all the others went after Blackfire. But they came back with nothing. Princess Komand'r, Blackfire, had escaped the ship. She had escaped...and left her younger sister all alone, to suffer.

And so Starfire was seized by an uncontrollable fury, she began to scream like a banshee and try to destroy everything in sight. And so the Gordanians locked her in the sturdiest rooom in the ship,one of them snarling, "Can't you accept it, pretty princess? The fight is over. You have lost." Then they refused to give her food at all. But this did not stop the warrior princess. Tamaranians could survive for days without food and, remembering Blackfire's words, she beat and beat at the door for days on end...every hit ringing with every ounce of righteous fury she possessed...fury at the Gordanians, at her sister, at the Citadel...but never at her planet. And eventually the door did break. And as Princess Koriand'r faced the frightened Gordanians with blazing eyes...

_"Zengtha ru maka! Kek zengtha ror! "_

_You think the fight is over? The fight has just begun!_

Starfire sighed and settled on the top of the Tower. After Titans Tower was built, she had sent an angry transmission to her sister, demanding an explanation for her betrayal. Her sister sent one back, saying she was so happy Star had escaped, and that there hadn't been enough time to drag Star along with her, ans she'd planned to come back and rescue Star once she'd gotten help.

And of course, Starfire had believed her. And like always, Starfire had forgiven her.

The other Titans were back now and Starfire went down to meet them, pushing the unpleasant past out of her mind. She had come to terms with her capture and parent's death long ago, so there was no use worrying about it. She grabbed Silkie and bounced on the couch besides Beast Boy, who begged her to play video games with him. Knowing full well he merely wanted someone who he could beat to play with him, she accepted. She had lost four times when Robin gasped.

"What is the badness causing you to inhale with such loudness and acuteness, Robin?" Starfire asked, turning around to see Robin was at the Titans computer.

"The energy signature-it's heading toward our Tower! And I think it's-"

Suddenly, the doors were flung open to reveal a dark haired female with orange skin and an armored outfit.

"Hello, sister," Blackfire said.

"Blackfire!" All the Titans jumped up, Starfire warming up her starbolts, Robin whipping out his discs, Cyborg readying his sonic cannon, Beast Boy turning into a snake and Raven crackling with dark power.

Blackfire merely looked bored. "Calm down, kiddies...I'm not here to fight..."

"Oh yes?" Starfire said, flying up to her sister with a snarl. "Then what is it you are here for, precisely?'

"I have news. About our parents." Blackfire said slowly.

Starfire was struck dumb. "What?"

"They're alive."

"Wha-no they are not! They were killed six gloargs ago!"

"No. The Gordanians simply captured them. They have been keeping them prisoner all this time. We never saw the bodies, remember?"

Starfire indeed did not remember seeing bodies...their parents were supposed to have been vaporized...

"And why should we trust you?" Robin snarled.

"The one thing I would never lie about is our parents. I wouldn't have come to get you, Starfire, but I need your help freeing them from the Gordanians."

Starfire deflated and looked into her sister eyes. "Y-You are telling the truth?"

"Yes, Kory," Blackfire said. "I would not lie about our parents."

Starfire knew it was true...even if Blackfire no longer loved her, she had always loved their parents. She remembered the stories...

"I will go with you," Starfire said.

"Starfire, no!" Robin cried.

"You can't seriously trust her!" Cyborg cajoled.

"It's obviously a trap..." Raven muttured.

"Who's Kory?" Beast Boy asked.

Star turned to face her friends. "I must go...if there is the slightest chance my parents are alive...I have to find them."

"Well, we're going with you."

"You can't," Blackfire said shortly. "The Citadels is extremely hot. Your bodies won't be able to withstand it. Not even in a suit, or space ship. Tamaranians, however, can withstand such heat. Besides, Starfire and I will get there faster by flying..."

"Starfire, this is obviously a setup!" Robin cried.

"But it is true, Robin, the Citadel is much too heat filled for earthly beings to survive," Starfire said.

"It's a trap!"

"Blackfire would not lie about our parents. I know it is hard to believe, but she truly cares for them. And I can take care of myself, if she chooses to betray me."

"Yeah, what if she has something really nasty planned?" Cyborg asked.

""Oh, honestly," Blackfire rolled her eyes. "You can put a tracker on her or something. If she's in trouble she can push the button."

"Glorious idea! Cyborg, would you fetch one?" Starfire asked.

Reluctantly, Cyborg did so. He fastened it to her wrist. "If it's destroyed, or you push the button, it will give a signal.

"Satisfactory!"

The sisters went outside and Starfire hugged Beast Boy ("Hee hee!"), Cyborg ("Take care of yourself, girl), Raven ("Ehgh... good luck. Now stop that!) and Robin.

"Are you sure about this?" he muttered.

"I have to do it, Robin. I will call you if I need you. Goodbye everyone! I will be back soon!"

"Goodbye..." the rest of the Titans said looking uncertain. And the two sisters took off into the sky.

Starfire's heart was pounding...could it be true? Could her parents be alive? She imagined seeing their faces...the ones she has see photographs...or _roshikas _as they called them on Tamaran. Her parents...enslaved all these years...alive...it was almost too much...the sibling flew in silence for an hour before Blackfire said abruptly, "We're almost there. Come down, I need to discuss our plan of action."

Cautiously, Starfire followed her sister to a nearby barren planet. They landed side by side, and her sister turned to face her.

"So, sister, what is our plan?"

Blackfire rolled her eyes. "This."

And before Starfire had time to react, two glowing red clamps snapped around her wrists, seeming coming from nowhere. Something flickered and Starfire saw she was in a spaceship, not on a planet, and she was chained to the wall. Two clamps secured around her ankles as well.

"What-?" Starfire gasped.

Blackfire smiled. "So easy to holligraphically disguise things these days, huh, Kory?"

"But-but why?"

"Mmmm, I plan to use you as a bargaining chip to allow me to take my rightful place as ruler of Tamaran and stuff, y'know?"

"But-" Starfire struggled against the clamps, trying to summon starbolts, rip them off the wall, press the button, anything...but the chains were specially designed it seemed. She couldn't even do lasers from her eyes. "What about our parents?"

"Dead as doornails, sister dear..." Blackfire took the tracker off Starfire's wrist, and threw it into deep space, where it would float, unharmed forever... "Gullible as always, Star...gullible as always..."

Some people saw red when they were angry. Starfire saw green. Her eyes lit up like warning lights as she struggled harder than ever against her bonds. "I cannot believe it! I did not think even YOU, sister, would have the duplicity to use our long deceased parents as bait! How could you? How could you be so ruthlessly cruel and heartless? I thought perhaps, even you, posessed some shred os decency deep within your traiterous being...keeping you alive, alive to feeling! But if you dare use our parents as bait in your selfish scheme, you, Komand'r are truly DEAD INSIDE!" She spat out the last words.

Blackfire spun around. "I had no problem lying about our parents to you. They weren't the saints you make them out to be. They were every bit as selfish as I."

"_Pejin jekarom_!" Starfire spat in Tamaranian "_You decieve me again!"_

"No, Kory, I'm finally telling the truth. All these years kept the secret from you. To protect you." Blackfire gave a cold laugh.

"Protect me? Do not make me emulate laughter!"

"Well, Galfore would have skinned me alive if I told you. Besides, I saw no reason for you to know. I'm not completely cold hearted. Or wasn't. I suppose there's no reason not to tell you now." Blackfire leaned forward. "Our parents signed papers, saying should it ever come down to it, the Tamaranian princesses could be offered as slaves in the interest of peace. Meaning _us_, sister dear."

"How would you know this? Why should I believe you?"

"I have no reason to lie. And I saw the law signed."

"You would lie to emotionally torment me! Besides, even if our parents did sign that law, it was to protect our planet and I-"

"Oh, X'hal," Blackfire rolled her eyes for the hundrenth time. "You never change...besides, that is not why our parents are cold hearted."

"Oh, yes? Then why, sister?"

"They left us to die."

"_Jeka rixzal raskima_!"

"Oooh, those are pretty cruel words coming from you, Koriand'r," Blackfire chuckled.

"I do not believe you!"

Blackfire looked at her and something flickered in her eyes. Was it pity? "I'm sorry, Kory. But it's perfectly honest. You can ask Galfore when we go to Tamaran. You don't remember the day our parents died, right?"

"No!"

"I wonder if that's because you blocked it out or because you were so young when it happened...no matter, I remember. So clearly..."

Princess Komand'r was in a foul mood. Of course, that was her perpetual state of being, not that she minded it. It was better than being like Kory. The five year old was happy ALL THE TIME! Hopefully, she would grow out of it, for it annoyed Kammie to DEATH. Her parents seemed to find it endearing.

"Look at the pretty planet!" Kory spun around and around. "I wanna run round and love it all!"

"Oh, X'hal help me," Komand'r muttered.

"Watch your mouth, Komand'r," her mother repremanded "And Kory, remember, you are a warrior, not a...er.."

"Pacifist," her father finished.

"Yes, that. Stand up straight, Komand'r."

Kammie was hurt that she always got called by her full name, and her sister got called Kory. Curse her stupid white eyes! Why couldn't she be a joy filled _chlorbag_ like Kory?

"I'm tired..." Koriand'r whined.

"Warrior, Kory," her mother reminded, but grasped Kory's hand.

"I'm...tired ...too..." Kammie tried to grab for her mother's hand but somehow missed it.

Her mother turned to face her. "Honestly, Koman-"

"What is that sound?" her father interrupted.

For a great buzzing had filled the air. Suddenly a giant vehicle overshadowed them.

"_Gordanians!" _her mother hissed.

"To the castle!" her father bellowed."Komand'r, Kory, the Tamaranians are warriors, this is your first lesson. You must keep up with your mother and I!"

And with that, the two rulers took off running. Komand'r and Koriand'r hurried after them, but Komand'r found herself tripping on a rock. Kory immediatly stopped, helping her sister up.

"MOTHER! FATHER! WAIT!" Kammie bellowed, but the parents did not stop. "They-they left us!"

"Kammie..." Kory whimpered.

Komand'r looked up to see a particle beam heating up directly above them. _"Jeka!"_ She dragged herself and her sister out of her way just in time, the laser hitting the spot they had jumped from.

"Keep up or I'll leave you behind like our parents!" Komand'r hissed. She ran full pelt, looking for shelter, her sister trailing after her. Finally, she found a cave and dived under it, Kory following her. It was there in the shelter from the storm, that Komand'r heard her mother scream. She closed her eyes and hugged her sister, something she rarely did.

When the Gaurd came and fished the sisters out of the cave, they comfirmed what Kammie already knew. A particle beam had vaporized the Tamaranian rulers. Her parents were dead.

Starfire stared at her sister.

"I'm not saying they were evil, I guess..." Blackfire shrugged. "They thought as warriors we should keep up, and maybe they didn't even hear me calling after them...but they were not saints, Koriand'r...they were strict to the point of cruelty...they never liked me, and I have not problem lying about them..."

Starfire wanted to call Blackfire a liar, but her sisters eyes had truth...and ...pity in them, she didn't tell the story with relish, but with sorrow. If Blackfire were truly lying to torture Starifire, she would have painted their parents as evil incarnate, not strict warriors who had gotten carried away with Tamaranian tradition...and she wouldn't have made excuses for them.

But, then, Starfire didn't trust her sister, after all, she currently had her chained to a wall. And she couldn't fathom her parents being so ruthless...she didn't _want_ to believe it...she didn't know what to think.

"You can ask Galfore when we get to Tamaran, like I said. Hopefully, he'll tell you the truth. I wish more than anyone our parents had been all around nice people, but hey..." Blackfire shrugged. "Truth hurts. Now, we have to get to Tamaran..."

Blackfire moved towards the controls of the ship. Starfire closed her eyes in anger and sorrow.

"Titans, GO!"

A burst of black energy bloomed from the floor, unveiling a furious looking Robin, Beast Boy, Cyborg and Raven.

"We still thought you might be up to something," Robin said to a surprised Blackfire, whipping out his staff. "So we followed you. Looks like we were right!"

The three boys lunged at Blackfire, who dodged out of the way. Raven, however, used her telekinisis to pull Starfire's bonds off her. Just as this happed, Blackfire let lose a laser blast that knocked all three boys against the wall.

"RAVEN, LOOK OUT!" Starfire cried.

Raven spun around and threw Starfire's chains at the Tamaranian villian, and Starfire threw a starbolt, but Blackfire dodged both of them and managed to kick Raven in the head, smashing her against the wall next to the boys. All four Titans prone for the moment, Blackfire grabbed Star and tried to chain her back to the wall, but Star twisted her arm out of her sisters grip and let loose a roundhouse that sent Blackfire flying across the room. Robin got up, groaning and Blackfire tried to send another starbolt his way, but Star grabbed her wrist, making her miss. The siblings wrestled and fought like mad, and eventually Star pinned her sister down, breathing in her face "TELL ME THE TRUTH!"

"I...already...did..." Blackfire said through clenched teeth. She tried to punch Starfire, but the redhead ducked out of the way and slammed her sister against the wall.

"Mmm...you've undoubtedly impoved..." Blackfire muttered. "But I think I can take you..." She kicked Star in the stomach, sending her flying. Robin came at her with his staff , but Blackfire cut it in half with a blast of solar energy, then grabbed Robin's head, forcing him to the ground.

"Hmmm...you wouldn't look so cute if I crushed your skull, huh?" the villianess murmured.

"NO!" Starfire screeched.

"You wouldn't," Raven sneered.

"...um, Starfire, does your sister like to kill people?" Beast Boy asked, looking terrified.

"Yeah, well if you crush his skull, I'll sonic cannon your pretty little head..." Cyborg snarled.

"Yeah, but Robin would be dead either way..." Blackfire shrugged.

Robin kicked Blackfire hard, but she merely gasped in pain and knocked Robin out with a starbolt.

"HEY!" Beast Boy yelled.

"If you do ANYTHING, I will destroy you," Starfire snarled.

Raven was massaging her head, obviously getting a headache from all the emotion, trying to think desperately what to do. Cyborg kept his sonic cannon trained.

"Come with me, or he's dead," Blackfire snarled.

Starfire stepped forward. "I shall go."

"Starfire, no!"

"Good," without letting go of Robin, Blackfire reattached the clamps to the wall. She fastened Star's wrist in the first clamp, and began to fasten it in the second...Starfire kicked her in the stomach.

As expected Blackfire fell back, letting go of the unconcious Robin, and Cyborg quickly grabbed him. Searing the clamp off with a starbolt from her free hand, Starfire lunged at Blackfire, managing to zap her. The black haired alien skidded back, then straightened up. She stared as Starfire approached.

"You are a liar!" Starfire screamed.

"I probably should have seen that coming," Blackfire pondered. "The truth opens up all kinds of viciousness, eh, Kory?"

"I do not see why I should readily believe you!" Star cried.

"Believe me or not, I really don't care," Blackfire sighed. "You know, this isn't really worth fighting five kiddie vigilantes over. See you around, sister."

And before Star could react, Blackfire took off, crashing through the roof of the space ship. Starfire took off after her, but when she emerged into space, Blackfire had dissapeared.

Back at Titans Tower, Starfire sat at her usual pondering perch, at the edge ofthe Tower...what had really happened to her parents? Was Blackfire correct? Should she go ask Galfore? But would he "lie to protect her" as her sister had said?

Starfire sighed.

_It seems impossible to really find out the truth..._

"Hi, Star," Robin had sneaked up behind her.

"Hello, Robin," Starfire smiled. "I never got a chance to thank you for rescuing me."

"Uh, I think we're even. You okay?"

"Blackfire told me...our parents...left us to die when the Gordanians attacked. I was wondering if I could ever find out the truth."

Robin pondered this. "Truth's a tricky thing. People believe what they want to believe sometimes...and sometimes the truth isn't nessicarally...right."

"Er..."

"I think your parents loved you, Star. No matter what their faults...but it doesn't matter even if they didn't. You're...a really wonderful person. It doesn't matter how your parents acted...or your sister. They aren't you. I mean, look at Raven and her dad. What really matters, is, despite everything, you came out as this...really sweet and honest person..." Robin shrugged. "We're each other's family now."

"Oh, Robin!" Starfire hugged him.

"Ack!" Robin patted her on the back as she clung onto him. "Starfire...I can't...breathe..."

"Sorry..." Starfire let go.

"Uh huh...it's okay..." Robin looked uncomfortable as he always did when he "talked about feelings". "Hey! A shooting star."

He pointed at the sky.

"Oh no! Is it using a laser or bullets...?"

"I mean that!" Robin pointed at the yellow streak in the sky.

"Oh...on my planet we call them _boltiens."_

"Heh, I wonder why...make a wish..."

Starfire smiled and watched the star streak though the sky like a alien invader, and realized she did not need to make a wish...she had a home and friends...and that was all she really needed. That was the truth.

A/AN: First chapter with a truly happy ending. Kind of sappy, but hey, it's Starfire. You aren't expecting her to be all doom and gloom, right?

Next up is Cyborg obviously, then a chapter to wrap it all up.


	5. Cyborg

A/N: And the fifth chapter is…Cyborg! Poor under appreciated guy, his past is actually pretty tragic…after writing this, I understand more than ever how he feels about being a robot. Anyway, once again, influenced by comic book history, but with changes. Oh, yeah, sorry for "LAB TROUBLE Redux!" I know it's a lot like BB's lab experience, but I couldn't think of any other way to have Cyborg interact with his father and get a good fight otherwise. BTW, I tried to add page breaks this time, hope they work.

_Cyborg_

"When there's trouble you know what to dooooo…call Beast Boy! He stays healthy by eating tofuuuuu…cuz he's Beast Boy! When bad guys have gotcha kidnapped, he'll change into any animal to getcha back, cuz when the food chains loooosssiiiinggg all controlllll…"

"Beast Boy, stop singing your theme song! We're on stakeout!" Cyborg snapped.

"Dude, I'm bored! We've been here, like, two hours, and nothing's happened," Beast Boy whined.

"Surprisingly, he has a point, Robin," Raven's voice fizzled in on the communicator. "I don't think they're gonna show."

"They are," Robin's voice chimed in. "Just sit tight. I got a tip about this gang bang…"

"Gang bang?"

"Different people come and try to shoot each other for no apparent reason, other than the fact they belong to different clubs," Raven explained to Starfire.

"Oh."

"Why aren't the police handling this again?"

"Because, this whole thing is said to be orchestrated by some supervillian," Robin hissed.

"Slade?"

"I don't think so. Someone new. One of the gangs is working for him."

"It could be a girl," Raven pointed out.

"…Or her. Anyway, we need to find out who's behind this. So be quiet!"

Robin's voice fizzled out and Cyborg put down the communicator. He and Beast Boy were perched on the edge of a building, looking down at the dirty streets below. Raven and Starfire were hidden in an alley at the other end of the street, and Robin on the west end. Cyborg felt slightly nervous, especially as he peered at the sign staring at him and Beast Boy from far away. STAR LABS. He looked back to the street again.

Suddenly, Cyborg saw a shadow approaching.

"Robin, we've got trouble."

"I see them, Cyborg. Titans, stand down until I give the signal."

Teenagers streamed into the street like running water after Cyborg's first sighting. Soon, they were all huddled together, talking quietly. Cyborg scanned for objects being passed around, but couldn't find any…until…he saw one kid hold out a package. He grabbed his communicator to tell Robin, when suddenly a gunshot fired. Beast Boy gasped.

The guy who had fired the gun appeared to have missed his target, but Cyborg spotted him squeezing the trigger again. This time, however, black magic swooped down, stopping the bullets dead.

"What the-?" the gunman muttered, but before he could finish his sentence, Raven and Starfire landed in front of him, followed by Robin. Cyborg bounded in behind them and Beast Boy flew in as a hummingbird, and dropped in the rear.

"Sorry to interrupt the fun," Raven said dryly, showing them a glowing black hand.

"But we need to have a little chat," Robin extended his staff. "About what you're selling and who you got it from."

The gunman responded to this by raising the gun and shooting at them. Raven shielded the Titans from the onslaught of bullets and soon it was a free for all. More kids whipped out handguns and attacked the team; soon a pulsing mob had gone crazy, bullets and weapons flying. Robin, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire defended themselves with their respective powers, Robin yelling "FIND THE PACKAGE!" while Raven tried desperately to shield everyone from the onslaught of bullets.

As Beast Boy ducked and dodged screaming like a maniac, Cyborg yelled, "YO! TURN INTO A T-REX AND SCARE 'EM OFF DUDE!"

"I-I'm trying, it's really hard and I can't concentra-ate, whoa!" Beast Boy cried as someone tried to stab him with a knife. He turned into a wolf and tackled the wielder, while Cyborg blasted some guys attempting to kill Robin with his sonic cannon.

As Beast Boy turned back into a human kneeling over the slashed and unconscious form that had tried to stab him, he suddenly found a knife pressed to his throat by a burly youth.

"Urk!" Beast Boy gasped. "CYBORG!"

Cyborg immediately charged at the guy holding his best friend captive.

"Get off him or else!" he snarled, leveling his cannon at the boy's head.

The boy looked up in contempt, which quickly changed to shock. "Vic?"

Cyborg recognized him as well. "Ron?"

"DUDES!" Beast Boy screamed.

Ron dropped the knife he was holding and let go of Beast Boy. "Vic Stone? Is that really you, man?"

"Uh, yeah, hi," Cyborg said as Beast Boy got up, dusting himself off.

"So it's true…I didn't believe it…I thought you were dead!"

"Yeah, he's not, isn't that great?" Beast Boy said, stepping closer to Cyborg. "Um. Cyborg, who is this guy? And in case you haven't noticed, there's still a seriously deadly fight going on?"

Cyborg looked around at the chaos, then back at Ron. And he noticed that he was holding a package.

"Ron, what's in that package?"

"Drugs."

"Man, I know you're lyin'."

"I'm serious! Some freaky guy gave 'em to me. They're like nothin' I ever seen before."

"Did the freaky guy have one eye?"

"Uh, no, he had two, but one of them was like, red. Kinda like yours."

Cyborg felt his insides freeze. "WHAT? Ron, you gotta tell me. What did the guy look like?'

"Couldn't tell. Had a cloak on. Said his names was…uh…something…bloody…anyway, he's payin' me a lot."

"Was his name Brother Blood?"

"Yeah, thas it. How'd ya know?"

"I've met him. Ron, can ya hand me that for a second."

"Sure." Ron handed Cyborg the package. Immediately Cy shoved it at Beast Boy.

"Go tell Robin we got the package and to get out of here as fast as possible!"

Beast Boy took off into the air, the package clutched in his talons. Ron swore and tried to shoot Beast Boy down, but Cyborg grabbed his gun and crumpled it into scrap metal. Ron furiously tried to punch Cyborg, but his hand merely thunked painfully off his metal chest.

"You sold me out man! How could you do that?"

"Yeah? What about the time you pinned that drug heist on me? Or told everyone I was sucking face with Tyrone's girlfriend? Or-" Ron cut Cyborg off.

"How about how you DITCHED me once you became 'Mondo Hero Football Star'? You went around acting all high and mighty…and look how much good it did ya!" Sneering Ron gestured at Cyborg. "Now you're a freakin' monster!"

Cyborg couldn't help it; he threw Ron against the wall as hard as he could. Before the dust could even clear, however, Robin had jumped down beside him

"Cyborg! We have to get out of here and call the police. Come on!"

Starfire flew in and lifted Cyborg easily off the ground, Raven grabbed Robin and Beast Boy flew beside them as a hawk and soon they were far away from the crappy little neighborhood where Cyborg had lived the first sixteen years of his life.

As the team settled back into the Tower, Robin X Ray scanned the package with the Titans computer.

"What's in it?" Cyborg asked.

"Brain washing drugs," Robin said after hitting a few keys. "Definitely Brother Blood. I'll inform Titans East about this. They'll find him and put him back in jail. I wonder why Blood targeted this specific neighborhood though?"

Cyborg had a feeling.

"Sooooo….what was that thing with that guy with the knife about?" Beast Boy said, bounding down beside Cyborg.

"Old friend," Cyborg grunted.

"C'mon, the guy tried to cut out my throat, you gotta tell me more than that!"

Cyborg rolled his human eye. "Ron Evers. We were best friends when we were kids. Well, I was his friend. Not sure 'bout the other way around. He used to get me into lotsa trouble."

"Oh," Beast Boy flopped on the couch and looked innocently up at Cyborg. "Am I a better best friend?"

Cyborg couldn't help but smile. "Yeah. But don't flatter yourself. That isn't exactly a great feat." He turned to walk out of the living room.

"Hey, where're you going?"

"My room," Cyborg grunted. "Got some stuff to do."

And he disappeared down the hall without another word.

Going to the old neighborhood had brought back memories…and few of them good. Cyborg could remember growing up in that neighborhood. His parents, scientists, had never been around much, especially his father. Cyborg has learned how to take care of himself at an early age, making himself dinner when he got home, because his parents worked late, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, all that stuff. His mom tried, at least, to spend "quality time" with him when she could, but whenever his dad had a spare minute he'd spend it drilling his son with science questions. Mr. Stone wanted his son, Vic, to be a scientist like him someday. Vic was a bright kid, he learned fast and his IQ was above normal. He wanted desperately to please his parents. But he also had an aptitude for sports, which he loved more than he ever loved science. Due to his brightness, he had a hard time making friends in the neighborhood, and lonely, he became best friends with Ron Evers, who got him into all kinds of trouble. But Vic had nobody else…so he hung around. His dad would always say something to the effect of "I can't deal with this" or "you're supposed to be smart" when Vic got in trouble, but it was the look on his mom's face that would get Vic. Cyborg could still remember the hurt in her eyes, the sad shaking of her head…Mom was always on his side. It was her who convinced Dad to let Vic go to a "normal" public high school. It was there Vic found his calling: football. He was the best on the team, and some said he WAS the team. Mr. Stone was disappointed in this. Though Vic maintained straight A's, Mr. Stone could tell his son liked football better than anything. This argument came to a head when Vic went to visit his parents at the laboratory one day.

Victor Stone strolled carelessly down the street, a smile on his face, towards his parent's laboratory. Last night, the school team had won the championship game. They said it was because of Vic, but he knew the whole team worked together. It had been the greatest night of his life. His parents hadn't been there.

He shoved open the door to STAR Labs, knowing he's find his parents in the second room to the right, as always. When he came in, his mother looked up and smiled him. "Hey, sweetie. Congratulations on winning the game! Sorry I couldn't be there."

His father grunted, not bothering to look at his son.

"Thanks, Ma. I think some scouts were there!"

"You aren't going to college on a sports scholarship. It will distract you from your studies," his father mumbled.

"No it won't. It ain't distractin' from my studies now, is it?"

"It is. You could have won the Science Fair this year."

"There was a game…"

"My point exactly. If you want to be a scientist, you'll need no distractions."

Vic looked down at his shoes. "Maybe…I don't _want _to be a scientist."

Both his parents froze. Mr. Stone turned away from the crackling device he was working on. "What?"

"I- Dad, I'm not you! I like Football!"

"Football will get you nowhere-"

"It might! I'm _really _good, Dad! Everyone says so! And I'll still keep up my grades in college!"

"No," Mr. Stone shook his head.

"Are you even _listening _to me?"

"Football is NOT a future, Victor. Science is. If something happens, if you get injured…"

"I'll still have a good education to back me up! I'll keep up my grades! I just want to try this!"

"_No. _You are a scientist."

"NO I'M NOT! YOU ARE!"

"Don't give me that! I only want the best for you!"

"Football IS the best for me! Science is the best for YOU!"

"No, it isn't!"

"How do you know what's right for me? You never even bother to get to know me!"

"Silas!" Mrs. Stone said, eyeing the crackling device Vic's father had left on.

"Why you-"

"Um, Dad…" Victor was now looking at the pulsing object too, but Mr. Stone didn't appear to hear.

"Victor, if you're going to be a part of this family-"

"SILAS!" Vic's mother screamed.

The crackling device that Victor's dad had left on now had the appearance of a black hole. Elinore Stone stepped back, knocking over some cybernetic parts for disabled soldiers she had been working on. Silas Stone finally turned around and saw what was happening. "Oh my God…"

"MOM!" Victor screamed.

The world seemed to explode. There was a flash of fire and sparks, Mrs. Stone screamed and fell back and suddenly a giant blob-like thing was taking over the room.

"WHAT IS IT?" Elinore screamed, but she had barely finished before the blob was upon her, crackling fire and lightning.

"NO!" Vic jumped forward.

"VICTOR, WAIT!" Silas cried, but the young man was already halfway there. The blob was made of something horrible, Elinore was jerking randomly, her flesh being burned apart by the acid, blood gurgling out of her mouth.

"HOLD ON MOM!" Vic grabbed his mother, whose eyes were dark and wide, tears and mucus streaming out of them. He tried valiantly to pull her away, but suddenly he was up against the blob now, and all he felt was horrible pain, he could feel his skin burning, ripping apart, his bones splintering his muscles tearing, he could smell blood and he couldn't tell if he was screaming or not. He could hear his father calling his name, but all he could see was his mother, her flesh ripping off from her bones, which glistened pale white in the acid, her burning face, her wide bleeding eyes…and he could feel himself being RIPPED APART…he wanted to die…and then the blob was gone, his dad had pushed the recall button…but it was too late…

"Victor…" his mother managed to gurgle…. and then her eyes closed…and she died.

That was the last thing he saw before his eyes closed as well.

CYBERNETICS ACTIVATED 

_EMERGENY WAKE MODE LOADING…_

He could see everything through a plastic screen…oddly distorted…oddly…mechanical…where was he? He felt…numb…almost painfully so…what had happened…. what were the fuzzy lines going through his vision?

SYSTEM REBOOTING 

_SYSTEM ONLINE_

What?

The world cleared. He could see everything perfectly. Too perfectly almost…he felt…cold. And heavy. What had happened?

"Hello?" he croaked.

"Victor!"

"Dad?"

"You're alive! It worked! Oh, thank God!"

His father came into view, staring down at him with joyful tear filled eyes…was it his imagination, or did his dad look ten years older?

Vic tried to sit up, but found he couldn't. He wished the numb feeling would stop.

"Wh-what happened? Where's mom?"

But then Vic remembered, as his father's eyes filled with tears once more.

"Gone," he whispered. "She's gone."

_Gone…_

_Gone._

_She's gone._

_Forever._

"No…"

_She couldn't be. How could-?_

"But…why am I alive…?"

Silas gulped. "Son, this will come as a shock."

"What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing…nothing's wrong with you…it's…just…different…you see…you…had some parts…replaced…"

Vic wanted desperately to feel his stomach clench, but he couldn't. "Show me a mirror."

"Victor…"

"NOW!"

Silas got a mirror. Vic couldn't believe what he saw…

"What…"

"You were horribly injured, Victor. I had to…rebuild you. Those cybernetic parts for disabled soldiers we were working on…I used them to replace the damage…it was highly experimental...but it worked! You would have died…"

"I can't…feel…anything…"

"Yes."

"Will that ever-?"

"Well…no…you're made of metal now…"

"I'm…not human…"

"Yes you are! Well, halfway…"

"I'm NUMB!"

"But your cybernetic parts…are very powerful…you could bench press a bus if you wanted to…"

"Hardly…any skin…at all…you can hardly tell what color I am! Just…half my face…and a tiny bit of my arms-!"

"Victor…Vic…."

"I'm a MONSTER!"

"No! I had to save you!"

"WHY?"

"What?"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST LET ME DIE?"

"Victor-"

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT UP!" Vic was crying. But the tears would only come out of one eye. "YOU FINALLY GOT WHAT YOU WANTED, DIDN'T YOU? THERE'S NO WAY I CAN EVER BE NORMAL LIKE THIS! AND MOM-Mom…" he gasped. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!"

"It…it…no…"

"YES! I'D RATHER BE DEAD! WHY DIDN'T YOU LET ME DIE? IT WOULDN'T MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE! I'D RATHER BE WITH MOM!"

"Stop it!"

"YOU FINALLY GOT WHAT YOU WANTED! A FREAKIN' ROBOT FOR A SON! A SCIENCE PROJECT! A EXPIRIMENT!" Tears blinded Vic's human eye. He stumbled up, sobbing. He still felt so heavy and numb! "I HATE YOU, OLD MAN!"

He ran away as fast as he could, dizzy and clunky.

"Victor!"

"I'VE LOST EVERYTHING NOW! WHY…DIDN'T…YOU…JUST…LET…ME…DIE?"

With that final scream, Victor Stone ran away from his father's lab never to return.

He went to the seedy part of town. Thos first few weeks were awful. Vic had heard about people having phantom pains when an arm or leg was cut off…like their arm was still there, but riddled with bullets. He had the same thing…for his whole body. Eventually that settled down, but then it was worse. He couldn't feel his body…at all. It terrified him that he might stop feeling at all. And Vic had always been someone who felt everything…loved feeling alive, loved feeling every little sensation…even pain. But now…. his body was dead…cold unfeeling machinery…was it such a stretch that his soul might die as well?

He longed to feel.

And it went on like that…until one day he heard an explosion nearby…until one day he met the Teen Titans.

The red headed alien chic beamed as Robin handed her a communicator, so different from the snarling glowy eyed butt kicking nightmare she had been just a few hours before. He gave one to the pale girl and the green kid as well. After that, they all stood in awkward silence.

"So, do any of y'all have a place to stay?" Cyborg asked.

"I shall slumber in the ship of space for this glockrox," Starfire said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, the Gordanians have proper living conditions…they just do not allow their prisoners such pleasures."

"I have a place," Robin said shortly. "I'll see you around."

The green kid, Beast Boy, merely said, "See ya," and turned to walk away.

"Yo!" Cyborg called. "Do you have somewhere to sleep?"

"Oh…" Beast Boy scratched his head sheepishly. "Uh, not really. But I'm fine. I've been traveling around for a couple months, I can usually sleep with stray dogs and stuff…"

"Well, you don't have to do that, you can sleep at my place tonight."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Hey, where's the Goth chic? I doubt she has a place to stay either, seemed to be new around here."

"Over there," Beast Boy pointed to Raven, who was already halfway to shore, levitating along with her boots skimming the water.

"Let's go ask her."

Beast Boy contorted his face slightly, then turned into a raptor, and lifted Cyborg up by his arm, and they flew after the cloaked telekinetic. Raven turned around once she reached shore, and her eyes widened in surprise to see Cyborg and Beast Boy trailing after her.

"Yo! Goth chic!" Cyborg said touching down.

"What did you just call me?"

"Uh, it's Raven, right?"

"Yes. And I've been here long enough to know what that term means. I am not. Goth."

"Okay, we get it," Beast Boy said.

"What's your name again?" Raven asked Cyborg.

"Vic-Cyborg," he corrected himself. He had forgotten Cyborg was his new name, for the new person he was. Fitting. "I was wondering if you had a place to stay."

"Oh, not really. I'm used to…drifting…I couldn't really…"

"You wanna stay with us?"

"What?" Raven looked completely floored by this. "Oh…no…I couldn't…" She was blushing.

"C'mon, I have an apartment. Wouldn't want you out on the streets."

"Really, you don't want me around. I'm…trouble."

"You didn't seem to be trouble today. In fact if I remember, you saved our butts."

"And you saved mine," Raven said, raising her eyebrows.

"So? Come on."

"Well…" Raven looked down at her boots. "If…if it isn't any trouble…"

"No way! I need company in that stupid place! C'mon!" He grabbed the sorceress and the kid and dragged them to his apartment.

"It ain't much," he showed them his dingy three-room apartment.

"It's fine," Raven said.

"Dude, you have a pad!" Beast Boy jumped around like a rabbit on crack. Cyborg smiled. For some reason, he really liked the little guy.

"Who wants pizza?" he asked.

"Ooohh! Dude! Awesome!" Beast Boy cried.

"You don't have to," Raven muttered.

"What kind?"

"Anything's fine," Raven said.

"Ummm…would…you mind…if there wasn't meat…on it…" Beast Boy muttered.

"Dude, you don't eat meat? How is that possible?"

"Uh, hello? I kinda identify with animals? One time, I turned into a pig and I couldn't change back. So this farmer, who must have been like, color blind or something, took me into the slaughterhouse…dude, you have NO idea what they DO to those animals…"

"I don't wanna hear about it…"

"I was lucky to escape…I'll always remember…"

"Okay, okay…I'll get a large pepperoni for me and Raven, and a small veggie for you."

"Sweet!"

After Cyborg dialed the order, he and Beast Boy sat down and discussed video games for a while. Raven broke in cautiously, "Um, do you mind if I meditate? I need to do it…to calm my powers…"

"No problem," Cyborg said.

"Thanks."

Raven pulled some candles out of her cloak and lit them, then crossed her legs Indian style, floating a few inches off the ground. "Azarath…Metrion…Zinthos…"

Cyborg watched her. She seemed like a really sweet, shy girl…

"Touch those and you DIE," she snarled at Beast Boy as he reached a hand toward one of her candles. He jumped back in fear.

Or not…

The doorbell rang. "Must be the pizza guy," Cyborg said.

But when he answered the door, he found his father standing there.

"Victor…"

"How did you find me?" Cyborg said, stunned.

"I looked all over…"

"Who is that?" Beast Boy popped up beside Cyborg.

"Salesman," Cyborg grunted.

Silas looked at Beast Boy, and then past him to the floating Raven, who was still meditating. "Friends of yours?"

"What's he selling?" Beast Boy asked.

"Um, Beast Boy, give me and the salesman a minute to talk, okay?"

"Roger," Beast Boy bounced off and Cyborg moved out into the hall.

"Go. Away." He snarled at Silas.

"Victor, I just want to talk…"

"It's Cyborg now. And there's nothing to talk about."

"Please…"

"Look, Dad, I didn't mean all the thinks I said when I woke up…I don't think the accident was…completely…your fault. But it's just…you never…listened! I'm a different person now. My life has changed. And…I just can't face it. I just can't face you anymore."

"I…understand…" Silas said. "I'm glad you've made friends. I…if you never need me…"

Cyborg turned around and walked back into his apartment, closing the door behind him. He sighed and leaned against the door. Raven was now chasing Beast Boy around the living room; apparently he had set her cloak on fire or something. As she pelted him with random objects, Cyborg couldn't help but smile.

Nope, definitely not shy.

Maybe things weren't so bad after all…

That night, Raven insisted on sleeping on the couch, so Cyborg slept in his room, with Beast Boy curled up next to him as a cat. The next day, the doorbell rang, but this time it was Robin, asking if the three of them would meet with him and Starfire and discuss and idea about forming a team…

"CYBORG! DINNER!"

Cyborg jumped out of his reverie to find Robin standing at his door. "Aren't you hungry?"

"Oh, yeah," Cyborg said. "Always." He jumped up, his heavy boots vibrating on the floor. At least he could still taste food…

Alarm bells sounded all around Titans Tower.

"Trouble!" Starfire called.

"Where?" Cyborg ran in with Raven.

"STAR Labs," Robin said.

Cyborg's eyes widened. You've got to be kidding me.

"But we were just there," Beast Boy complained.

"That was another lab, Beast Boy. STAR Labs is more…downscale. But just as good. Anyway, one of their machines went haywire, and there are a couple of guys trapped in there. Titans GO!"

Raven, Robin, Beast Boy and Starfire sprang into action, Cyborg following with some trepidation.

When they got there, it wasn't the scene of panic they'd seen when they'd invaded that lab with the crazy guy who knew BB's parents. There was no crowd, just a few policemen. The inside of the lab was vibrating slightly. The five of them trucked into it, to find many different directions, as Cyborg had known there would be.

"Titans, split up!"

Cyborg had a feeling from the general look of the building where the trapped people might be, and he checked his scanners, and saw he was right. The other Titans had already split, he took the middle hall.

Radiation Center…Radiation Center…Aw man.

A group of robots blocked his path to the radiation center.

"Okay, I'm gonna try this…" Cyborg muttered. "Will you guys move?"

The robots moved forward, machines clanking.

"Guess not," Cyborg muttered. He sheared a robot's head off with his sonic cannon, and then they all seemed to lunge at him at once. Going through a mechanical stomach with his fist, he used his chainsaw arm to cut up several more, ripping one's head off with just raw strength. A rocket from his shoe detonated three of them, and he finished off the rest with a martial arts combination. Finally, robot parts littered around him, he was able to find the Radiation Center.

As he expected, there were two guys trapped in there, pinned by a fallen piece of machine. The radiation was on top of them, coming from the machine. Cyborg destroyed it quickly with a sonic cannon blast, and arms up to protect himself as best as possible from any remaining radiation, he kicked the machine off the two men and lifted them up easily, sprinting out of the room with them over his back like a sack of potatoes. He got outside and laid the men on the grass. Flipping his communicator on, he said, "Robin, I got the guys. There's radiation, so get out of there."

"Good job, Cyborg! Robin out!"

One of the men stirred slightly, opening his eyes. Cyborg knew he looked familiar, but couldn't place him.

"It's okay, man, you're gonna be okay," he assured the conscious man, although he doubted a man exposed to this much radiation would last the night.

"Vic-Victor?" the man muttered.

And Cyborg recognized him.

"DAD?" His father looked like he had aged even more since Cyborg had last seen him, making him virtually unrecognizable.

"Victor…it is you. You saved…me…"

"Dad…what were you doing pinned under that machine?"

"An…accident…"

"Another one?" Cyborg said automatically, and then regretted it. Seeing his father in such a state seemed to have wiped all the bitterness away from him.

"Yes…I'm…sorry…"

"No, Dad. Don't talk…you need to rest…oh man…maybe Raven can heal you…"

"Raven…she's…member of your…team…"

"Uh, how'd you know that?"

"I've…been…following…the news…about the…Titans…I'm…proud of you…Victor…you…have saved…many…"

"I-"

"And…found…friends…good…friends…"

"Yeah…" Cyborg felt lost.

"A…better family…than I…ever gave…you…"

"Don't say stuff like that! Stop the self pity!" Cyborg felt confused. "You need to stop talking!"

"Sorry…"

"Cyborg!" Robin landed down next to Cyborg, making him jump.

"Ahhh! Robin, my…this guys seriously been exposed to the radiation. We need to call an ambulance. Maybe Raven can-?"

"What about the other one?" Robin gestured to the unconscious man.

"He's…dead…" Silas muttered.

"WHAT?"

"He…died…a few minutes…before…you came…"

Robin leaned over the man, checking his pulse. "He's right."

The other Titans joined them.

"Raven, I need you to heal this guy!" Cyborg begged.

"Radiation poisoning?" Raven knelt carefully down beside him. "Cyborg, he's in pretty bad shape…I'll do my best…" she said in a tone that suggested there was nothing she could do. But she fired up her light blue healing powers, passing her hands over Silas's body.

"An ambulance is on its way," a police officer said.

"Victor…it's…too late…" Silas muttered.

"Victor?" Beast Boy said in surprise. "Cyborg, how-?"

Robin shushed him.

"Just hang on, old man. Hang on!" Cyborg felt desperate.

Silas shook his head. "I…will be…with Elinore…"

"Well, maybe you don't deserve to be with her!" Cyborg said angrily. "You don't, so LIVE!"

"I…can't…I'm…sorry…Victor…son…about the…accident…you were right…my fault…"

"Not…really…" Cyborg felt so confused.

Raven was straining now, apparently using up the last vestiges of her power, but she persevered, having guessed Cyborg's relationship with the man.

"Don't…waste…your efforts…girl…I am gone…" Silas informed her.

With a gasp, Raven gave up. She shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Cyborg."

Cyborg could feel something burning. Was it tears? Anger? He cradles the old man in his arms.

"Dying…" Silas's eyes fluttered. "I'm sorry…I…"

"I forgive you, Dad," Cyborg said softly. "I forgive you. I-I love you."

Silas smiled peacefully up at Cyborg. "Me…too…Victor?"

"Yeah?" Cyborg said his voice cracking.

"I…think…you could have…made the Olympics…if it weren't…for me."

And Silas Stone closed his eyes and died.

The Titans around Cyborg were silent. Starfire was crying silently, and she gripped Cyborg's shoulder, bending the Titanium slightly. Beast Boy looked lost, Robin solemn, Raven looked sadly at Cyborg, pulling her cloak tighter around her. Cyborg merely stared.

And then the ambulance arrived, too late.

_Thunk._

_Thunk._

_Thunk._

Cyborg bounced a basketball against the wall, alone in his room. Feeling…numb…

_THUNK!_

The basketball accidentally smashed straight through the wall.

_Feeling…angry…_

Cyborg put his head in his massive mechanical hands.

_Feeling…sad…_

He looked at the hole in the wall…right through a science poster…

_Feeling…confused._

There was a knock on his door. It opened automatically. In came Beast Boy. He didn't say anything; he just sat down beside Cyborg.

_Feeling…?_

Then Raven came in…then Starfire…then Robin. They all sat around Cyborg, in a sort of silent vigil. Beast Boy and Starfire leaned against him; Robin sat below with Raven. Cyborg felt oddly comforted…

_Feeling…_

_Feeling…_

Endnote: And so the fifth chapter ends. ISN'T IT SAD? POOR CYBORG!

Anyway, I'll have one more chapter to finish it up! I'm not promising anything, but there might be a little Terra…and Slade…


	6. Fin

AN: Last chapter…as promised.

_Once upon a time there was a girl name Tara Markov._

_She was born with tremendous power._

_Nobody knows why._

_Perhaps her parents had connections to ancient Earthmovers, perhaps it was a mutated gene, a disease…it was a mystery._

_She was just an anomaly, a freak of nature._

_A monster._

_Her parents were kind, plain people, who loved their daughter._

_When the child was four, an avalanche crushed the family…killing the parents…the child escaped unharmed._

_They said it was an accident. And it was. But the child knew she'd caused it._

_She lived in a foster home, with a kind old lady for a while…until an earthquake caused the house to crumble in on them._

_The woman's leg was broken…but she had seen the child's eyes glow. They carted her away while she screamed about the demon child…Tara ran away before she could be driven out._

_From then on, she lived on the streets, taking on a new name, Terra. She tried to use her powers for good…_

_But she couldn't control them. And caused destruction wherever she went. Occasionally people tried to take her in. But they all got hurt, or killed, and Terra was forced to run away again._

_How many times the people had chased her out of town…her powers were so strong, so volatile…one time she caused a big enough earthquake to catch the one eye of a masked man looking for an apprentice…_

_She met the Teen Titans._

_She betrayed them in a desperate attempt to control her powers._

_She fell in love…_

_She tried to kill them…_

_But she did not succeed, and in the end, she saved them…and the city…_

_She never learned how to control it…_

_But that doesn't really matter anymore._

_That girl is dead._

_She is gone forever._

In an empty classroom stands a thin blonde girl. Everyone else is leaving, but she stays, watching through the window. He always comes by at this time. Beast Boy. Her personal short green stalker. She didn't know why she felt the need to stay and watch. It was always the same, he'd be strolling casually by and then turn and stare at the school for a minute…then continue on. He hadn't bothered her since she told him to leave her alone, neither had any of the other Titans, though she swore she'd seen a girl in a blue cloak once when leaving…and a spiky head in the shadows…but she'd blinked and they'd been gone.

He was late. Maybe he'd given it up. She felt sad about this somehow.

Suddenly, a maniacally laughing blue guy gripping bags of money zoomed past the school. Then she saw him. But he was not alone. He was with the rest of the Titans, the girl in the blue cloak throwing bolts of black magic at the blue magician, a colorfully dressed boy with spiky black hair running hard, a staff extended, a half robot African American guy pounding the pavement as well, a pretty girl with orange skin dressed in a crop top and short skirt flying unaided above them, and Beast Boy, looking as scrawny and green as ever. For a full second his eyes flicked over to the school. He appeared to be looking right at her, though he couldn't possibly see her. Then he transformed into a green cheetah, and moved to the head of the pack. The alien girl picked up the caped teenage boy and threw him bodily toward the magician, the cloak and leotard girl up ended a chunk of sidewalk with her powers, and they disappeared from sight.

The blonde teenager stared out the window in wonder, before two girls came in. "Hey, it's lunch time! What are you doing staring out the window?"

She turned to her friends; shivering slightly as she felt the pangs of fear and familiarity she got randomly sometimes…she tried to snap out of it.

"Sorry, I'm coming."

She followed her friends out of the classroom.

_It doesn't matter at all.  
_

_Slade Wilson  
_

_He never bothered to change his name when he went into the assassin business._

_He was not a different person. Merely…better informed._

_As long as he dropped the last name, nobody would connect him to the mousy looking boy that mysteriously disappeared…or the family man._

_And that was their weakness._

_He had learned much._

_In the army._

_In the strict environment he was in as a child._

_Some would call it abusive._

_He wasn't one to label. The line between strict and abusive was so fine._

_Of course, either way, Slade wouldn't stand for being treated like that._

_Which is why Mr. and Mrs. Wilson disappeared with their son._

_He didn't blame them for anything._

_He was better disciplined for it, at any rate._

_Trained to kill._

_An apprentice of sorts._

_He was bound to get fed up though._

_The army taught him a lot. However, he found their 'rules' too rigid. He went on his own. Became an assassin._

_Assassins are just like soldiers._

_Everyone knows it, but they won't admit it._

_And Addie…he had truly loved her._

_And the baby._

_He'd wanted to teach the baby the skills he was taught._

_But Addie found out about his 'secret identity'._

_The woman was so enraged…_

_That was how he lost his eye._

_She filed for divorce._

_Sent the baby away._

_Technically, they never got a divorce._

_He killed her before that was able to come through._

_He really had loved her._

_Why did she have to shoot him in the eye?_

_He never found the baby._

_But he craved an apprentice as his assassination grew to include stealing and such, and he became a feared criminal._

_He wished to mold someone._

_He needed the best specimen possible._

_Villains had complications…hunger for power and easy backstabbers…and he wanted to 'raise' his apprentice in a way. Change them into a different person. Mold him into his own._

_He needed someone highly skilled, psychically fit, determined, focused, serious, disciplined…someone…like him._

_It was almost too easy._

Slade tapped his fingers against his desk. It was around midnight or something, but he was not yet tired. He turned on the tape again.

…And another crime successfully foiled by the Teen Titans!" A blonde woman chirped. "Tony Zucco, notorious gangster and blackmailer, is now behind bars mainly thanks to the Titans leader, Robin the Boy Wonder! Footage of the crime scene!"

It showed Robin climbing gracefully up a trapeze, throwing a birdarang down at a thug and knocking him out. The sound on the news cast was nearly non existent and no matter how he tried, Slade could not get anything beyond a faint "circus freak" to sound. "Circus freak." Odd insult. True, Robin was on a trapeze, perhaps that was all the insult was about. Slade, however, had a feeling there was more to this story. For instance, Robin attacked this criminal quite viciously, Starfire having to pull him back. The hatred on Robin's face was usually something reserved for Slade himself. Something was fishy here…

Slade knew about the young crime fighters past with Batman, more about it than Robin could ever guess. They had randomly split a few months before Robin's sixteenth birthday, Slade could not fathom why. An argument perhaps? All he knew was suddenly the Dark Knight appeared in Gotham without a sidekick and Robin formed the Teen Titans two months later.

He still felt the need to learn as much about the Titans, Robin in particular, as possible. He still thought Robin would have made a perfect apprentice…but that was lost now. Now Robin was his foe. And he knew the weaknesses. The Teen Titans were the ones who would always get in the way of his…goals. And he needed to pursue.

He ejected the tape. He could not shake the feeling there was something wrong with that particular televised encounter…something he was missing.

He would find it.

He always did.

He shoved the tape in the drawer.

_Too easy, Robin. Too easy…_

_He struggled each and every day._

_To live._

_He was nothing but a shred of spirit, caught in an endless torment, wandering aimlessly._

_His past flashing before him._

_He was the expunged evil energies of that cursed place, Azarath. They had created them. Tried to destroy him. But nobody could._

_His thirst for power drove him. From the day he was born he wreaked destruction. It had only taken him six years to gather the power to destroy his whole planet._

_And then…_

_Millions of dimensions under his command. He wanted it. He wanted it ALL._

_But he was imprisoned by the spells of that cursed place Azarath._

_They had created a monster. Now they had to deal with one._

_But they could not capture his demons._

_The demons HE had created. The demons that existed to SERVE HIM._

_They traveled to earth. And inadvertently, bought him the answer to his problems with one stupid woman._

_Now he had a portal out of this fiery prison. A vast portal in a small, violet haired girl. All he needed was sixteen years. He could easily control his daughter. She was his pawn._

_Or so he thought._

_Inadvertently, he had given her tremendous power by siring her. And that, combined with a strong will…_

_He got to earth._

_He thought he had conquered her._

_But she rose from the ashes and defeated him in flash of white._

_Trigon the Terrible defeated by a sixteen year old girl._

_Now he was only a spirit._

_He had underestimated her._

_He would not make that mistake again._

_She would PAY._

In the plain of eternal pain, he pulsed, a mere spirit, as insignificant as the dust. Striving, horribly, forward.

She may have taken his body from him, but NOBODY could destroy Trigon the Terrible. He was far too powerful.

Even now, his demons were working.

They would enact the ancient spell. He would be FREED.

In the plains of magic, anything was possible. And he had and endless supply.

She thought she had broken the connection. But he still felt her thoughts, faint, but there.

INSIGNIFICANT THOUGHTS.

He was CONSUMED with RAGE.

His demons would be faithful.

He would endure.

He always did.

He was RAGE. He was EVIL. NOBODY COULD CONQUER THAT.

NOT  
EVEN  
HIS   
DEAR  
PRECIOUS  
DAUGHTER!

_Nice guys finish last._

_That had always been her motto._

_Her sister was the ultimate nice guy._

_That was why she was always last._

_Some might disagree._

_But Blackfire always won._

_Starfire always behind._

_The world was cruel. Rulers were cruel. Blackfire had to be cruel to keep up with this world._

_She had to take care of herself._

_She refused to be a victim._

_Occasionally she felt pangs of guilt, like when she had left Starfire for the Gordanians._

_But she had to look out for herself. Star would have to be a big girl._

_She had traveled the universe, getting into trouble here and there._

_So she stole some diamonds. Hurt some people. A girl had to survive._

_She was only using Star as a decoy. The guards would have figured out Star wasn't her and let her out of prison soon enough, giving Blackfire time to escape. But NO. Starfire had stood by; let her sister go to jail. Wouldn't DO that ONE THING._

_Then she got her BANISHED from her planet._

_She had nowhere to go now._

_Was she last?_

_No._

_She was merely coming from behind._

Blackfire looked down at Earth, a twisted smile on her face. Terra Prime. Her little kidnapping plot had failed. But somehow she didn't feel bothered. It felt nice to finally tell the secret to Starfire. The secret she had kept inside for so many years. Perhaps there was some vindictiveness in her pleasure. Okay, a lot of vindictiveness. But now she was not alone, not the only one bearing the burden. And that was what mattered to Blackfire.

But she also could not help but derive pleasure from what Kory DIDN'T know. That was that Blackfire had received a rumor that their parents might be alive.

But she wasn't bothering to check it our, nor willing to tell Starfire about it.

It was probably false.

Besides, her parents were better off dead. No more pain for her. And no more pain for Kory. Not the she really CARED about Kory's feelings.

"See you around, little sister," she said to the blue and green planet. Then she zoomed off, armored hands outstretched. The universe was a big place. Surely she could find a party SOMEWHERE.

_Ron Evers._

_Juvenile Delinquent._

_Master of Mischief._

_Gang Leader._

_Street Smart._

_But mostly Juvenile Delinquent._

_Like Vic Stone, Ron's parents had never cared for him. But they were busy being drug dealers, not scientists. So Ron had staked his place on the street. He wasn't a braniac, but he was clever. He used his resources to the maximum; he took advantage of every opportunity. Some called him manipulative. Some said he used people. But really, he just tried to get what he wanted._

_Vic had been good for that. He was lonely, he was smart. Ron could get him to do stuff, pin stuff on him, and he was useful._

_But he'd abandoned Ron when he became a giant football star. Ron felt hurt. Sure, he had used Vic but he'd never abandoned him. He had, you know, been there. But he was all jacked up on football and the popular crowd, "too good" for Ron and the gang now. All fancy, forgetting what he basically was: a ghetto kid._

_Then they said Vic's dad had blown up him and his mom in an accident. Ron felt bad. Vic was always being screwed over by his dad. He felt mad that the old man had been the one to finish off Vic. Though he still hated Vic for becoming all high and mighty, he didn't want the guy to DIE. But he was…not all people believed so. Some people said his dad had rebuilt him into a Cyborg. Ron didn't believe that stuff. Nor did he believe the rumors about Vic BEING "Cyborg" on the Teen Titans. He'd never even SEEN the Teen Titans; they might be another rumor for all he knew. People said they were in the news, but he didn't have access to a newspaper or television. Besides, even if this "Cyborg" was real, who said it was Vic? The robot guy was black. Oh yeah, that meant it was Vic. After all, Vic's the only black person in the universe._

_But, for the first time in his life, Ron was proven wrong._

Ron Evers kicked a beer can up the alley, his hands deep in his pockets. He couldn't believe he had just seen VIC STONE. But not Vic Stone…some…Cyborg guy. Hanging around with a short green kid, a creepy chic in a cloak, some alien babe and Robin the Boy Wonder. A superhero. And Vic had totally screwed him over! Just like the old days. Vic had BETTER friends than Ron. Ho ho. Well, screw him. Vic DESERVED to be a freakin' monster! He had thrown Ron against a wall!

Ron took a few steps up the street and suddenly came face to face with STAR Labs. It was smoking oddly. Weird.

A few news people were there. Scientific breakthrough or something. Ron turned around and walked away; just in time to miss seeing the police come out with a body bag.

_TITANS TOWER_

_MONDAY_

_12:00 A.M._

_"My little Robin, always bobbin' along…"  
"Oh my God! Garfield!"  
"Football is NOT a future, Victor."  
"Kory, remember, you are a warrior…"  
"H-he's inside her…Sh-she's really going to do it…destroy the world…sh-she might kill…kill us all. All…of us…in Azarath…I can't help it, Coman! I'm afraid she's just like him!"_

_"Hey…didn't you used to be with-?"  
"The little runt was in the Doom Patrol long before you got your paws on him!"  
"Go ahead. Run cryin' home to Mommy. Oh, that's right. You don't HAVE a mommy!"  
"When we were little, I was always rescuing Starfire."  
"You will always be Daddy's little girl."_

_"I already have a father."  
"It was something I did once. I'm a Titan now."  
"There! Take a good long look! I had an accident, and now I'm a monster, all right? A cyborg!"  
"On my home planet, such explosions would mean the Gordanians were attacking. You are certain Earth is not under attack?"  
"You may have created me... but you were never my father. Fathers are kind! Fathers protect you! Fathers raise you! I was protected by the monks of Azarath. I was raised by my friends. They are my family. This is my home. And you are NOT WELCOME HERE!"_

Raven's eyes snapped open, her psychic energy senses on alert. She sat straight up, looking around. Had she heard something?

"Raven?"

Raven looked around, and saw she had fallen asleep on the couch with her friends. They had been watching a late night movie. Starfire was blinking blearily up at her, she was sprawled across Robin, whose masked eyes were open as well, and he now looked very uncomfortable. Beast Boy had curled up as a cat, and was now transforming back into a tousled human form. Cyborg was sleeping on the adjacent armchair, but had been awakened as well.

"What's up?" the half robot yawned.

"Nothing…I just thought I heard something." Raven said.

"Oh…" Cyborg looked at his arm panel. "Sensors say nobody's here."

"Yeah. It was probably just a dream." Raven muttered.

"Look at us in our friendly togetherness!" Starfire exclaimed. "I am most happy to share the couch with my friends. I feel the warmth of my surrogate family!"

"Um…we're a surrogate family?" Beast Boy yawned.

"Well, let's see. We live together, we support each other, and we share the household chores. Yeah, sounds like a surrogate family to me," Raven snapped.

"Wow, Raven. That's surprisingly lovey dovey of you," Beast Boy said.

"I was merely stating a fact."

"Starfire, you're suffocating me," Robin muttered.

"I am sorry, Robin…you are very warm, you know."

"Uh…."

"I dunno 'bout you guys, but I'm so tired I'm not even movin' from this armchair. I'm going back to sleep. 'Night surrogate family."

"Yeah, kay. 'Night, weirdest family on the planet," Beast Boy turned back into cat.

"Good night, family of surrogates!"

"Yeah, what they said," Robin was apparently very tired. He closed his masked eyes.

"Yeah…good night," Raven did not make a move to lie down, but watched all of her friends go to sleep. Then she looked up into the dark room.

_Ghosts?_

Raven shook her head.

"Nah, couldn't be."

She curled up on the couch beside her friends.

Fin.


End file.
